All You Need Is Love
by Mommyzilla
Summary: Miscommunication is something Jason and Elizabeth excel at. Will this be the time that breaks them for good, or can they straighten things and have the family they long for?
1. Chapter 1

ABC/DISNEY owns GH. No copyright is intended.

Hi everyone! Sorry for the long break. I was dealing with some severe eye issues. Those of you who have been reading my stories for a while know my eyes are a source of problems for me. I didn't want to begin a new fanfic until I got a little better. I didn't want to start posting and then have to stop. I'm not all the way better yet, so keep those fingers crossed for me.

This new story is AH like all my stories. It does not follow the timeline on the show at all. I also had to move the Metro Court hostage crisis from February, you find out why in the story.

This story was inspired by a prompt from Heather over at HH. So thank you Heather!

Thanks Liason102 for being the rockingest beta ever.

Please be polite in your reviews. If you don't like this story just stop reading it.

This is light drama story with mob stuff in the background, and a couple a lot of you have been asking for returns.

There are outfits and 2 houses for those interested.

Thanks!

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Chapter 1

"Hello Grandmother." Jason said taking a seat after slipping into the mansion. It was just after midnight. That his grandmother was still up wasn't surprising. For one thing she was a night owl like him, had been her entire life. That tendency only got worse in the past year after losing Edward. She simply hadn't adjusted to all that room in the bed.

The second reason she was awake was the turmoil in Port Charles. While the city had seen its share of bombs, fires, and other disasters tonight had been one for the books. A hostage crisis had occurred at the annual Nurse's Ball which was being held at the Metro Court, and it left a staggering number of people dead. It also put Alan in the hospital. Lila was sitting up waiting to hear how he was doing, after losing Edward to his heart condition she didn't want to lose her son the same way.

"Hello Jason. Thank you for coming to see me." Lila said reaching out her hand for his. Despite the stresses of the night she still had a smile for her grandson. She was thankful to have never lost him, so many of the Quartermaines were gone now they had to hold tight to the ones that were left.

"I wanted to make sure you were okay. I knew you were home alone tonight." Jason said showing his softer side. He didn't wear his heart on his sleeve for many people. However he didn't hide the fact that he loved his grandmother. No matter what was going on with the rest of the family that never changed.

"I am." Lila promised him. "I have endured a lot in my life. Living through a World War made me strong. Living with your grandfather made me stronger. Being Tracy's mother made me invincible." She said laughing. "How are you? And may I asked what inspired the new look?" Her grandson was in head to toe black.

"I have had an interesting night." Jason wasn't going to go into a lot of details. Right now he didn't have the energy. Later he would give his grandmother a full accounting of what he had seen and heard. Most people would be surprised to know that Jason told his grandmother pretty much everything. How could he not? The woman was the most level headed person he knew. In the life that he led having someone who could see almost any situation clearly was a gift. "The most important thing is that I learned tonight is that I'm going to be a father." He said smiling.

"Elizabeth?" Lila guessed with a knowing grin that turned into a laugh at her grandson's surprised look. "I'm old Jason, not blind. I have seen the two of you together several times over the course of the summer. I can also spot a pregnant glow a mile away." Elizabeth wasn't showing yet which was probably a good thing. With her being single at the moment she was going to become the topic of gossip when the baby bump appeared.

While Port Charles was filled with some of the most corrupt people Lila had ever encountered they wouldn't hesitate to rake the single mother over the coals. Even though Elizabeth had one of the kindest hearts around they would still take her to task for the fact that the baby wasn't Lucky Spencer's. It just boggled Lila's mind how many people wanted Elizabeth to spend her life with a man she clearly didn't love.

"Did grandfather have this much trouble hiding things from you?" Jason wanted to know. He was happy that he and the older man had patched things up. It would have been hard knowing Edward died with them not liking one another.

"He eventually learned to not even try." Lila said with an angelic smile. "How is this going to impact your life? I seem to remember you having a fan." She stated with an arched brow. Her grandson's taste in women wasn't the best after his accident. However she always respected his right to live his life the way he chose to. Lila generally held her tongue but she just didn't like Sam. Now that Jason was no longer with the dark haired woman Lila didn't have to hide that fact.

"Sam was killed tonight." Jason said shaking his head. "She seemed to believe that she was capable of over taking the man in charge. She tried to get a gun from one of his crew and got shot in the process." Patrick and Robin worked on her, with Emily's help, but it didn't do any good. "We were not getting back together, I know it sounds cold but her death doesn't impact me in any way."

"It's not cold." Lila said patting his hand. "You had already moved on. May I ask you another question?"

"Absolutely." Jason didn't hesitate to say.

"Why are you here and not with Elizabeth? She lost friends tonight as well. I'm sure she could use a shoulder to lean on." Lila wanted to know.

Jason blushed a bit. "She told me about the baby while we were trapped in the elevator." She had been wearing the most beautiful blue gown and still looked stunning. His eyes had gone to her still flat stomach when she told him about the pregnancy.

They had been together almost two months ago, and life had kept them from talking since then. He recalled several instances where she had asked to meet with him about something important, it just never seemed to happen. He had to cancel a couple of times due to work issues, then Sam had started her campaign to win him back and he wasn't showing up to talk with Elizabeth with a hanger on. Just recently he had to go out of town. Tonight was the first time they had spent uninterrupted time together in far too long.

"And?" Lila prodded.

"She said we didn't have to be together to raise our child." Jason said frowning some. "That she would never keep my baby from me, but it was clear from my actions I didn't want a relationship with her."

"That is true." Lila said trying not to smile. Jason hadn't liked hearing that. She thought her grandson deserved to work some for the young nurse's heart. She had no problem with Elizabeth making Jason prove that he was capable of being a good partner and father. Her grandson had a habit of putting the wrong people in his life first. It was a problem Elizabeth had too, until she cleaned house earlier this year. The Spencers had been dumped as a unit after Lucky cheated on her. Clearly their engagement didn't mean as much to him as he wanted everyone to believe. Good riddance to bad rubbish. "In today's world a woman doesn't need a husband to have a child."

"She thinks I have been avoiding her since we were together." Jason could understand how Liz reached that conclusion. "Which isn't true. She also thinks I want to get back together with Sam." Another miscommunication to add to their list. His ex-girlfriend had used his absence to make it seem like he had forgiven her for sleeping with Ric. Jason hadn't, and neither had Alexis.

"I wonder why?" Lila asked with a bit of acid as that arched eyebrow got a little higher. "Could it be that you haven't actually talked to her? Jason they have this wonderful thing called the telephone. You push buttons and it lets you talk to people all over the planet. I know a conversation about your future is best had face to face, but if the phone is all you have you make it work." She said taking him to task. "You knew Sam was running around spreading lies, and you took no steps to convince Elizabeth that what she was hearing wasn't the truth."

Jason couldn't say anything. His grandmother was right. He had gotten into a habit of drifting through life, of letting others control situations that impacted him. It was no wonder Elizabeth assumed he didn't want to be with her, but she was still willing to let him know his child. Because her heart rarely closed to anyone. If it did their history would have made it so she never talked to him again. "I want to work on convincing Elizabeth we should be together." It was time to make some changes. That was the place he planned to start. "I was wondering if you could give me some advice on how to accomplish that?"

"I should leave you to climb out of the hole you have dug for yourself on your own." Lila was a big believer of learning from your mistakes. "But I won't, because you really do need my help. You are going to have to do the majority of the work on this problem. Ultimately only you and Elizabeth can decide if you have a future together, but I can help you get started." The older woman said.

"What do you suggest?" Jason was not above getting advice from his grandmother. At least not now. He had a feeling that if had listened to her right after his accident his life would look a lot different. He probably should have come to her after Elizabeth left him for lying about Sonny faking his death. He just bet she would have been able to help him fix that situation too.

"You are going to kidnap Elizabeth." Lila told him. Here in Port Charles there were too many distractions so they needed to go elsewhere and talk. The young nurse had a good many responsibilities and Lila doubted she would drop them to just run away with Jason. Plus if ever there was a situation that called for a grand gesture this was it.

"Kidnap her?" Jason repeated surprised.

"Did you ask her to marry you in the elevator?" Lila knew him well.

"I did. Which is why Elizabeth said we don't have to be together to raise the baby." He admitted starting to smile. Kidnapping Elizabeth would certainly let her know he was serious. She wasn't going to press charges, but Jason had to take into account other factors as well. One being Cameron, and two being the mess that would be waiting when they got back home. The business couldn't just be walked away from. Not now, so he also needed to factor that in. Still he could see how that would work.

"You like my plan." Lila said chuckling.

"It's a bit unorthodox, but I do like it." Jason said with a rare wide smile. "I need to get everything set up."

"Good. I know exactly where you can take her." Lila would do this one last thing for him. After this he was on his own. She named a place, and could see in his eyes that he knew why she picked it. By the time she was done he was nodding his approval.

"You are good at this." Jason said giving her a look.

"I'm good at many things." Lila said a bit smugly. "You should know that by now."

Before Jason could respond his phone rang. "It's the hospital." Which meant news about one of the many people Jason was connected to who were in the building tonight.

"It's too early to be Alan." Lila said telling herself to stay calm. It was too early unless he hadn't made it through surgery.

"Morgan." Jason said answering the phone.

"Spencer didn't make it." Cody reported to his boss. He was sitting in Kelly's office. His girlfriend was downstairs working in the ER on the wounded, so this was good place to set up a command center. He had spent so much time receiving reports his cell phone needed to charge.

"Thank you." Jason told the guard.

"I haven't had any news about your dad. Last update said the surgery was going well." Cody passed along.

"Good to know, make sure you get some rest." Jason said before hanging up. He didn't want his guys running themselves into the ground "It wasn't about Alan. From what my guys are hearing the surgery is going well."

Lila just nodded. Both Monica and Emily were at the hospital more than likely watching Alan's surgery take place. Lila would probably hear any updates from them.

"Lucky Spencer died." Jason told his grandmother. She had once been close to the Spencer's but that was no longer the case. Lucky wasn't the man he used to be thanks to Helena, and Luke had turned out to be rapist.

"I feel for Laura, never would I have thought her catatonic state would be a blessing." Lila said quietly. "To lose Lucky and Lulu on the same night would be hard to move pass." Lulu had died in the lobby during the shootout. "If you need to go start setting things up I understand."

"You were right about the phone." Jason said being cheeky. "I'm going to put it to good use. I need to make some calls which I can do from this sofa. I'm not going to leave you to sit here alone." He was once again putting someone before Elizabeth, but this time she would understand. She loved Lila. After Audrey's death Lila had stepped into the grandmother role, giving Elizabeth the family she needed since her own couldn't be bothered.

"I'm not going to argue. It's always nice having you close, and this way I get to hear exactly what your plan is going to be. I'll be sure to speak up if you get off track." She let him know. Also if he stayed she would know the condition of those he was worried about. Sonny had been badly hurt in the night's melee as well. Jason might appear emotionless but that was far from true. He needed support as well. Another realization came after that one. With Jason here Lila could keep another problem at bay. Carly was no doubt running around unsupervised. At some point she would get the bright idea of calling Jason, when she did Lila was going to make sure her grandson didn't go. It was time Carly was put in her place too.

"I guess I know where the rest of us get our smartass tendencies." Jason said laughing as he located the number he needed on his speed dial. Just before he hit the talk button his phone buzzed, an incoming call on the second line. Carly. Without the least bit of guilt Jason hit ignore and continued on with his call. He had things to set in motion, so she was going to have to wait.

"Why are you calling me so fucking early?" Johnny O'Brien wanted to know. He was in bed cuddled up with his sexy wife. They had a late night and he was tired.

"Good morning to you too." Jason said laughing, it was just after five in Dublin. "I need you to return to Port Charles."

"Why?" Johnny wanted to know. "Give me a good reason to drag my wife back there considering we only left on vacation a week ago." If Jason was calling now then more than likely time off was over.

"True love." Jason said laughing.

"Better be Lizbits." Johnny had no use for Jason's last companion.

"It is." Jason confirmed. "Only she doesn't know it yet, and you won't be here for long. Let your wife have a visit with Lila, while you run the errand I need you for." That would get his friend to stop arguing. Johnny could never resist a mystery.

"We'll be on the next plane out." Johnny said hanging up.

On the sofa Jason just chuckled. Time for call number two.

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Thanks for the reviews!


	2. Chapter 2

ABC/DISNEY owns GH. No copyright infringement is intended.

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Chapter 2

The Quartermaine estate wasn't the only place seeing a late night visit. Nikolas Cassadine was also hosting a guest, one who would be leaving the harbor town once they were done. "You did a lot of damage tonight." He said pouring them both drinks.

"You wanted to make sure this didn't come back to you. I aim to please. No one is even going to think you were involved in this." Jerry Jacks said with a wide smile. "I do believe that our agreement stated that as long as I did my job then I could have some fun. As long as that fun didn't endanger Baby's Breath." He saluted his host with his glass.

"Holding her hostage all night might have be considered by some as endangering her." Nikolas pointed out. Working with a loose cannon like Jerry was always tricky. Still the man got the job done. That was why he was one of Helena's favorite contractors.

"I was told she wasn't coming. Once I knew she was there, then close to me was the safest place she could be." Jerry pointed out. She had sat to his right a good portion of the evening. "I also would like to point out that I took pains to not harm the lovely Leslie Lu as well."

"The PCPD can't say the same." Nikolas said shaking his head at the stupidity of flooding the lobby with tear gas and then letting your officers' start shooting. Although that smoky environment gave Jerry the opportunity to complete his job, Lucky was dead; which was really all Nikolas cared about. Lulu wouldn't be missed. "And Sam?"

"Brought it on herself." Jerry shrugged. "She wanted to play hero, probably to get positive press. For her show or for Morgan. At this point it doesn't matter which one. There will be some good to come out of Sweet Sam's passing. I think from here I'll go and check on the Lovely Alexis. With Ric no longer in her life I'm sure your aunt can use someone to lean on during this time. Since you aren't going to go."

"She and Sam are no longer close." Nikolas pointed out. He hadn't spoken to his aunt in years.

"Sam was still close with her sisters though. Alexis will need support as she helps the girls grieve." Jerry had been keeping an eye on Nikolas's aunt waiting for the perfect opportunity to step back into her life. Tonight provided it, sometimes you had to help cupid along. "Anything else?"

"Yes, out of curiosity why did you want to destroy your brother's hotel?" Nikolas had been surprised when Jerry laid out his intended plan before arriving in the city.

"I'm hoping the events of last night will put the final nail in the coffin of my brother's marriage. Carly is a toxic shrew who needs to be shook off. While I had planned on the damage to the hotel causing a strain on the relationship what is happening is even better. Right now Carly is at General Hospital waiting on word about whether Sonny will live or die. Jax is probably not thrilled about that." Jerry knew the key to a successful plan was leaving room for happy accidents. This certainly qualified.

"Of course she is. She's a Spencer, they don't understand that their presence doesn't make everything better." Nikolas said with real derision. "They also don't know how to let go. Carly won't care that her presence grates on Sonny's fiancee's nerves. The Spencer family doesn't care about anything but what they want." The Russian Prince said going on a small rant.

"Are you going to tell me why you wanted your brother dead? Enough to let me run amok." Jerry thought he knew and if so it made Nikolas's little speech pretty funny. He thought his partner in this little escapade was in love with Elizabeth Webber. Actually, obsessed might be a bit more accurate. Jerry didn't do a job without recon and his guy who had been here for the last few weeks said that Cassadine couldn't seem to stay away from Nurse Webber. That he liked to watch her when she wasn't aware of it.

Cooper also reported that Elizabeth didn't see Nikolas as anything but her friend and former brother in-law. Jerry suspected that Nikolas thought with Lucky out of the way his main competition for Elizabeth's heart was gone. Just as Jerry planned on helping Alexis through this difficult time, Nikolas was more than likely planning on being there for Elizabeth, helping her deal with her traumatic experience.

"No." Nikolas said draining his glass. He handed over a box with the Ice Princess, the money for the job had been wired over when Jerry first arrived at Wyndamere. Luke would be fit to be tied if he ever learned that the diamond hadn't been lost and was now in the possession of the man who killed his son. Seemed fitting somehow. With Helena dead the rock had come to Nikolas, and he had no use for that part of his family's history. "Alfred will show you out."

"It has been a pleasure." Jerry said standing up. "We should do this again sometime." He said before walking out. There was a private plane in Rochester waiting for him. He would call Alexis before taking off, playing the concerned friend card, and offer to fly to California. She was going to say yes, because she never turned him away. He was going to like having children.

Alone in the parlor of his house Nikolas stared into the fire and started to smile. By tomorrow the list of the dead should be complete and with Luke away on a mission no doubt the PCPD would be in touch about burying Lucky and Lulu. Which would give Nikolas the perfect opportunity to spend time with Liz. If what he wanted to happen was going to come about then they needed to start spending more time together. He wanted Spencer to really be comfortable around Liz, and Nik wanted to make sure his son was okay with Cameron. It would probably be easier if Nik just told Liz what it was that he needed, but it had been drilled into him from an early age to not admit weakness. Once he was sure Spencer would be okay with Liz then Nik would quietly leave the town he now called how, and let nature take its course.

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Jerry was right, Carly was inserting herself into a place she didn't belong. Instead of going home and checking on her children, or going down to the hotel to see how extensive the damage was she was sitting by Sonny's bedside at the hospital. Something her husband would not like, but Jax wasn't even a thought at the moment. "Sonny our boys need you, so you have to hang in there." She said taking his hand in both of hers.

"Why are you here? Its family only." Kate asked walking into the room. This woman had been a thorn in her side since she arrived to run Crimson. Dealing with her right now was the last thing she wanted to do.

"Where the hell have you been?" Carly asked going right on the attack. "Sonny has been out of surgery for half an hour." She wasn't going to dignify the family only comment. Sonny would want her to be here.

"Checking on Dante." Kate said placing her purse on the table. "He did lose his girlfriend tonight." Although she thought Dante had dodged a bullet there. Lulu was sure to turn out like her bitch of a cousin. Those Spencers all turned rotten eventually. "I would think you would be more concerned with your own family than mine." Olivia was also downstairs with her son, she had skipped the event saying after setting it up she had no desire to attend.

Carly didn't consider Lucky much of a loss. Lulu's death would be harder to take, but wouldn't cause extended grieving either. At some point Luke would show up and start talking about revenge. Which wouldn't help the situation any. At times like this Carly was glad she hadn't been raised by Bobbie. "Sonny couldn't be left alone."

"Sonny is sedated." Kate said looking at her fiance. From what she heard he wouldn't even be here if Carly had kept her mouth shut. The blonde bitch had run off at the mouth to the hostage takers about how Sonny would make them pay for this, so they shot him in the head. The doctors trapped in the hotel had done their best, but the injury was catastrophic. Arrangements for his care would be made, and when that was done she was going to turn her attention to making Carly's life miserable. Kate had a lot of connections and she was going to use them all to ruin the blonde in front of her.

Carly stared at Kate. The woman didn't deserve to be with Sonny. Hell she wasn't even a real person. Kate Howard was just a fancy name the girl from Bensonhurst adopted to make herself feel better. She was a pretender and it was time she left Port Charles. Maybe she would take that two faced bitch Olivia with her. Both of them were liars, and both of them had Jax charmed. So yeah they needed to go. "I'm going to go talk to Sonny's doctors, since you've finally decided to come sit with him."

"They aren't going to tell you anything. I have Sonny's power of attorney." Dante held it which was joke since he didn't really have a relationship with his father, earlier he asked Kate to handle things. "Just like I have his ring." Kate said holding up her hand. She thought that's what this was really about. Carly's need to control the men in her life. She wasn't happy unless Jax, Sonny, and Jason were all doing as she commanded. Sonny was tied to Carly for life because of their two boys, and Jax was her husband so he was stuck with the shrew as well. Jason seemed to be getting a clue in the last few months.

Since the beginning of the summer he no longer came when called, something Carly didn't like. She had been out at Greystone complaining to Sonny about the enforcer being distracted for some reason. Kate wondered how Carly would take it if she clued into the fact that Jason's job wasn't the real issue, if Kate was right Elizabeth Webber was why he no longer revolved around his best friend. Something about their relationship shifted a few months ago. So at least one man had be set free. She hoped he never looked back. "Go home Carly."

"I'll be back in the morning." Carly said grabbing her purse and strolling from the room like she was the queen of everything. Someone in this hospital was going to tell her something about Sonny's condition. She had enough money to ensure that.

Kate took the empty seat by the bedside and let out a soft sigh. "We are in a serious mess here Sonny." She told him. "The doctors are saying that they don't think you are going to wake up." He was breathing on his own which was a good sign, but his brain activity was extremely low. So it had been recommended that Kate start looking into long term care facilities.

"It is highly ironic that I got you to retire from your dangerous job and you still ended up getting gunned down." Kate said blinking back tears. "I got you back only to still lose you in the end." Staying in Port Charles was going to be hard after this. Maybe Jax would be open to relocating Crimson's offices to another city. She gently kissed his forehead after getting to her feet. "I love you." She whispered before walking out of the room. A good night's sleep was needed and tomorrow she could start reviewing her options.

* * *

Dante walked onto the roof of the hospital just needing a bit of air, and found that someone else had that same idea. "Hello."

Emily turned and gave him a tired smile, it had been an incredibly long night. "Hello."

"Do you want to be alone?" He asked standing just inside the doorway.

"There's plenty of roof." Emily said turning back to look at the skyline. It was late October and normally it would already be cold in upstate New York. This year they were enjoying warmer than normal weather and that made coming up to the roof possible.

"How's your dad?" Dante was on the police force so he knew who was injured and who wasn't. Tonight he didn't work the hostage crisis because Mac thought he would be too emotionally involved with Lulu inside. Which was funny because the commissioner's niece and his daughter had also been a hostages. Robin and Georgie escaped injury, after losing Maxie last year Mac had to be grateful for that.

"Stable. He is in ICU." Emily said trying not to start crying again. Her eyes hurt she had cried so much tonight. Too many lives had been lost, including some of her friends. "I heard about Lulu, I'm sorry."

"Thanks." Dante said looking out into the night sky. "Things between us lately were strained, but I had hoped she would be okay."

Emily knew, unlike a lot of others, that Dante and Lulu were on the brink of implosion. Lulu was coming fully into her Spencer side acting reckless, and immature. Seeming less like her mother, and more like her cousin Carly. Lulu had been sporting that same entitled attitude that made Emily walk away from her friendship with Lucky. It hurt some to know that she wasn't even speaking to her oldest friend when he died. The four musketeers had grown up and grown apart. She didn't talk to Nik anymore. She and Liz were still friends but they hadn't spent any time together recently either. Something Emily was determined to change. Being held hostage had made her look at her life. She wasn't happy, and it was time to make the changes that would let her be.

"I'm glad your father was able to get help in time." Dante said thinking about the second person he was connected to who had been in the lobby. Sonny, the father Dante didn't know he had until he came to Port Charles to be with his mother. The man who stood for everything Dante swore to eradicate. Sonny wanted a relationship, Dante rebuffed him at every turn. Now the former mob boss was in a hospital bed in what the doctors thought was going to be a permanent vegetative state.

"I'm sorry about Sonny." Emily said quietly. When Dante just shrugged she let that drop. "I'm going to get some coffee and then try to find a cab. I don't want to leave my grandmother home alone."

"I could use some caffeine, and then I'll drive you home." Dante didn't want her falling asleep in the back of a taxi. "My night is just starting and I want to get away from the hospital. The drive will help me clear my head before I go over to the hotel. Or what's left of it."

"Thanks." Emily said as they headed to the door. She was debating calling Nik to make sure he was okay, and then decided against it. Maybe Elizabeth could give him the support he would need, since they still talked to one another.

Once again a disaster had struck their town, but this time to Emily it felt like it was going to change everything.

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Thanks for the reviews!


	3. Chapter 3

ABC/DISNEY owns GH. No copyright infringement is intended.

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Chapter 3

Elizabeth was standing at the nurses' hub updating charts with lab results. It was so calm, it hardly seemed like last night really happened. The crumbled ball gown on the floor of her room this morning, and her exhaustion from lack of sleep, said it did. When she got home that dress was going in the trash, she didn't want it hanging in her closet. She didn't need a reminder of what she went through.

Being held at the whim of mad man was bad enough. However when the tear gas started filling the lobby and the police began shooting Elizabeth was convinced that she wasn't going to get out alive. Then she found herself being carried off by Jason of all people. She hadn't even been aware that he was in the lobby. Elizabeth had been too focused on keeping Alan alive after he had his heart attack. Thankfully the man in charge had agreed to let Jason's father leave. Then Elizabeth had tried to move over to help with Sonny, despite the fact that they were no longer friends. Mr. Craig had said no and told her to sit next to him. So she used her proximity to ask him to let Sonny go too. That request had fallen on deaf ears.

Trapped in the small box Liz had finally had Jason's undivided attention so she took advantage of that. Telling him about the baby they had created this summer when they had slept together after years of dancing around one another. While in the past their timing was awful on that night it had been perfect.

She had the night off from work and being a mom. So she took herself to a movie. After she had been walking home and waiting for the light to change when Jason pulled up next to her on his bike. He offered her a ride, and since it had been too long since she enjoyed that particular pleasure she accepted. They ended up at nowhere which had made her laugh. She admitted that she hadn't been out there since he brought her that last time. The time she had stupidly chosen Lucky over him. There were days she wished she could go back and shake her younger self.

From nowhere they ended up at Jake's, another important place in their history. One she frequented more than him these days because this was where their Girls' Nights Out were held. She challenged him to a game of pool and in addition to the game they enjoyed some flirting. They were both single and it was nice to feel like a woman for a change. Halfway through the first game the power went out. She called Steven, because Cameron was sleeping over, and her big brother said they were fine. They were going to go outside and light the fire pit since it was a nice night. So when Jason suggested they take their pool game to the penthouse, she said why not. She was off the next day and a late night wouldn't hurt her. Only once they were alone the flirting led to kissing which led to mind blowing sex.

She didn't regret it, but she had started to suspect he did. Lately Jason seemed to have time for everyone but her. Getting the hint she had planned to just send him a letter through Diane, letting him know about the baby and offering joint custody. With the rule that Sam had no say in how they raised their child. Was that petty? Yup, but Liz was allowed.

Only the elevator stalled and she told Jason last night. He offered marriage, which wasn't surprising. She told him that wasn't necessary. Trapping him into a life with her when he wanted another woman wasn't going to happen. Right after she told him that the rescue team freed them from the ruined building. Jason said he would call today. Elizabeth said fine and went home where she relieved her sitter before crawling into bed exhausted.

Now she was waiting for the phone to ring so she and Jason could start deciding where they went from here. Even if she didn't have a relationship with him, she wanted their child to know his or her father. The elevator opened interrupting her thoughts and she smiled at her friend.

"I didn't think you would be in today." Emily said walking over to the hub. She was still tired. Sleeping had taken a while, and then she kept having bad dreams.

"I volunteered, we got a lot of patients in last night, which means a lot of discharges today. I'm working the hub and doing paperwork while Piph makes sure everything else runs smoothly." Elizabeth explained. "You here to send your mom home?" Monica had stayed overnight.

"Yeah. I only went home so that grandmother wouldn't be alone in the house. I have a bit, can we talk?" Emily wanted to know.

"Sure." Liz stepped down from the console and they walked to one of the waiting areas. "Let's sit down. What's up?"

"I wanted to say that I am sorry." Emily's emotions were still running high and tears sprang up. "I've been a lousy friend. I can't remember the last time we just hung out, or I had dinner with you and Cameron."

Elizabeth looked at her friend confused. "Em we see each other most days."

"Here, at work." Emily waved a hand to encompass the hospital. "Outside of this building I've been ignoring you."

"Hold on." Liz went and got some water. "Drink this. The whole thing." When Em was finished Liz took the empty cup. "Em, you are a first year resident in the most competitive surgical residency program in the country. You don't have a life outside of this hospital. Some days you don't even leave the hospital. You aren't ignoring us. You're chasing your dream, which requires work and a bit of sacrifice. I understand that, and Cameron isn't even two, I'm the only person he misses at this point." She said laughing. "My being upset is the last thing you need to be worried about, but for the record we are fine." She was proud of Em.

"I just feel like a lousy friend." Emily admitted.

"You aren't. Life happens." Liz promised her. "I'm not going anywhere, and I know if I picked up the phone at 3 a.m. needing help you would come running."

"Thank you." Emily said feeling better. "I can't lose anyone else."

"I can't promise you that. I wish I could." Elizabeth said squeezing her friend's hand. They sat in silence for a while so that Em could calm down. "If you get a break you can visit Cam in the daycare. His hugs make everything better."

"They really do." Emily had to agree. "I need to go see my dad. Maybe we can have lunch this week. I'm off the schedule. I'm too frazzled to concentrate." As an intern that would have set her back, but as a resident she could take the time.

"I'd like that." Liz said giving her friend a hard hug. "I'm keeping Alan in my prayers."

"Thanks." Emily said heading off to ICU. While she was sitting with her dad she was going to think about what other things in her life needed to be addressed.

* * *

Elizabeth was back behind the hub when she got her second visitor of the day. "Nikolas. How are you?" She came around and gave him a hug.

When she went to move back he tightened his arms keeping her close. His friend was always so free with her affection, watching her with Cam made Nik positive she would be great with Spencer. She smelled like vanilla, which was oddly comforting. The scent was very light because the staff was told to keep perfumes to a minimum. "I'm okay."

Liz rubbed his back and gave him as much comfort as she could. While she no longer talked to Lucky or Lulu they were Nik's siblings. Him she still kept in contact with. He had lost more family than anyone else last night. "I'm here for you if you need me." She said stepping back.

He reluctantly let her go. "I was hoping you would say that." Nik told her putting the right amount of sorrow in his voice. He wanted it to look like he cared his sibling were dead. This was the opening he needed to get his plan started.

"What did you need?" She asked hurting for her friend.

"Help planning the funerals. I called Luke, but I'm not going to wait for him to get in touch with me." Because that wasn't going to happen, after Jerry left a call came to the house. Luke was dead too, a drug that made him look like he had a heart attack took care of that problem. Nik knew Liz disliked her one time father in-law. She hadn't talked with him since it came out that he raped Laura. When Luke tried to spin it as being complicated Liz had told the older man not to speak to her ever again.

"Wise move." She said trying to keep the acid out of her voice.

"I know you weren't close with my brother and sister, but I'm not sure I can do this alone." Nik said playing on her sympathy a little.

"You don't have to." Liz let him know. "I'm working a long shift today, but tomorrow I'm just working the morning shift. I can bring Cameron out to Spoon Island to play with Spencer and we can start thinking about what you want for the service." Actually the boys probably wouldn't play much, Spencer didn't really get along with other children.

"Thank you that sounds wonderful. Spencer needs to spend more time with his cousin." Despite not sharing DNA that was how they were raising the boys. Nikolas said telling himself not to smile at how well this was working out. "See you tomorrow, why don't you plan to stay for dinner."

"That would be great." Liz said giving him another hug. "I have to get back to work."

Nik nodded and watched her walk back to the hub before heading to the elevator. Her permanent lock with Lucky was now truly severed, it was only a matter of time before his brother decided to insert himself into Liz's life again. That was the last thing that was needed. So Nik had taken it upon himself to simply remove Lucky before he could do any damage. The Russian prince considered it repayment for all the times Liz had been there for him.

* * *

The phone call she was waiting for came at noon. Jason asking if they could get together tomorrow night and talk about the baby. She said she had plans but would be free the next night. So he agreed to meet then. Elizabeth hung up and told herself to get the fairy tale of her and Jason raising this baby and Cameron together as a family out of her heart. Nothing in Jason's actions was saying he even had that on his radar. The man was probably grieving for Sam.

"There you are." Olivia said tracking Elizabeth down. "How are you?" She gave her boyfriend's sister a hard hug. "Why didn't you come over last night?"

"I was exhausted." Elizabeth said grinning. Olivia was the best thing to happen to her brother.

"That's why you should have come over. I would have taken care of you guys." Olivia knew Liz was pregnant and she had taken it upon herself to fuss over the younger woman. She had been a single mom too and knew how hard that could be. Liz was going to have all the support she needed until the baby's father got his ass in gear. Olivia had a suspicion as to who that was, but would hold her peace until the official announcement was made. "I had to wait for Steven to call and tell me you were okay."

"I'm sorry I should have at least done that. I just went home and crashed." Liz told the woman she was hoping would be her sister in-law.

"Can you come over tonight?" Olivia thought Liz looked thin and tired. "Dante will be over, and you know how much he loves hanging out with Cameron." He already had the honorary title of uncle.

"That would be great." Elizabeth knew she was going to leave with something to put in the freezer. Since Olivia was an amazing cook that was never a bad thing.

"Great, Now I need to track down your brother and see if he will be joining us." Olivia said with a grin. Steven was the acting Chief of Staff for the moment. There were already rumors that Alan was going to retire and Monica would be promoted. If that happened the rumor mill said that Steven would become the Chief of Surgery.

"There is a good chance the answer to that question is going to be no." Elizabeth warned Olivia. "It will be good to see Dante, how is he?"

"Okay. He and Lulu were not in the best space recently. Honestly I think they were done but hadn't made it official yet. So there is some guilt over that. I don't think it will last long." Olivia shared.

"The Spencers are a hard family to take at times." Elizabeth said simply. "I'm helping Nikolas plan the funerals."

"Can't he just hire someone? I don't mean to sound cold, but he's got enough money." Olivia was not a Nikolas fan. She thought he was creepy and didn't buy the charming misunderstood prince act he put on for everyone else. He was probably as crazy as the rest of his relatives.

"Nik was raised with a sense of family always comes first." Liz explained. She knew Olivia didn't like her friend, Steven didn't either. Nik was hard to get to know which wasn't helping. "Helena meant the Cassadines, but Nik extended that to Lucky and Lulu as well. He feels duty bound to plan the service. I know what needs to happen from when I planned the service for Gram."

"You are a great friend Elizabeth Webber." Olivia said giving her another hug. "Dinner tonight."

"We will be there." Elizabeth said grinning. It was good to have family.

* * *

The other member of her family, the one being sought by his girlfriend was having a meeting of his own. "You needed to see me?" Steven asked Jason. It had been surprising to get this call. They didn't spend a lot of time around one another. Steven didn't dislike Jason, he barely knew him as a person. But the man had been there for Liz time and time again which Steven had to respect. Especially since he had not been around when he sister needed him the most.

"I need your help with something involving Elizabeth and Cameron." Jason hoped he was making the right decision in trusting Steven.

"Which would be what?" Steven wanted to know.

Jason paused trying to figure out how to say what he needed without telling all of Elizabeth's secrets. She was a private person by nature and Steven might not know about the baby yet.

"Does this have anything to do with you being the father of her baby?" Steven didn't have all day to do this.

"Yes." Jason said nodding at the same time. "Does she have leave on the books?"

"Why?" Steven hadn't seen any indication that Jason was going to take care of Liz and this new baby so he wasn't being that helpful.

"She just told me about the baby last night. I've been busy and out of town. Elizabeth wouldn't tell me over the phone, not that I called her. That isn't how she handles things. I need to prove that I'm not an asshole who was ignoring her after we had sex. Which is what she thinks." Jason just put it out there.

"Don't ever mention my sister and sex in the same sentence again." Steven knew where babies came from, he just didn't want to associate that with Liz.

"Sorry." Jason got it. He was a big brother too. "I want to take her and Cameron away. So we don't get distracted. I need uninterrupted time to start fixing this."

"My sister is stubborn." Steven said grinning. "I doubt she will go since you are on her shit list."

"I don't plan on giving her a choice." Jason finally admitted. "I'm kidnapping her and Cameron."

"Really?" Steven said intrigued. He noticed Jason always included Cameron in everything. That was a very good sign. "Keep going."

Since Steven didn't punch him Jason did. He explained his plan and the doctor was laughing by the end. "I'm so in. Good luck. If this doesn't work out you still better pay child support and I'm totally going to deny this conversation ever happened." No matter what Jason needed to be responsible.

"They will be taken care of if even she doesn't forgive me." Jason said giving his word. "Thank you."

"You're welcome." Steven said smiling still. He couldn't wait to see what the results of this gesture were going to be. Should be interesting.

* * *

Thanks for the reviews, the follows, and the favorites!


	4. Chapter 4

ABC/DISNEY owns GH. No copyright infringement is intended.

* * *

Chapter 4

"You called?" Cody asked stepping into his boss's office at the coffee shop.

"I'm going out of town." Jason told his enforcer.

"Is O'Brien coming back to run things?" Cody wanted to know.

"No." Jason told his friend.

"You aren't leaving me in charge are you?" Cody asked horrified at the thought. "I can barely put on matching socks in the morning. You can't trust me with your territory. I just started being your enforcer this spring." He said trying to talk some sense into his boss.

"Cody, relax." Jason said trying not to laugh. "I'm not leaving you in charge, but for the record I think you would do fine. But to just drop everything on you and leave wouldn't be fair. I need you to monitor the territory and make it look like I left you in charge." Cody's reputation would keep folks in line. The man could put a serious hurt on people. "My grandmother is going to be overseeing my business interests while I'm away. Any questions, just contact her."

"Okay." Cody said nodding.

"You're fine with that?" Jason just wanted to make sure.

"Your grandmother is smart, she ran ELQ until your cousin was ready to take over." Cody said meaning Ned. "If she could do that, then this will be no problem." He had no issues taking orders from a woman. "Are you expecting any problems?"

"Carly is here, so is Ric." Jason said naming what he expected to be the two biggest headaches. "So you never know."

"How long will you be gone?" Cody asked relaxing now that he knew he wasn't going to be in charge. To be in command you needed some training. This time next year he could do it, now he just wasn't ready.

"No clue. Shouldn't be more than a few weeks." Jason said wondering how hard he was going to have to grovel. His grandmother was right, a simple phone call to say he wanted to talk but things were crazy would have solved all this. At least Sam wouldn't be an issue going forward. "I can be reached by phone if it's an emergency."

Cody nodded getting what wasn't said. Try not to have any emergencies. Honestly Cody could handle the shipments and keeping Jason's holdings safe. It was dealing with the people, and making business decisions he didn't want to do. "O'Brien is only on vacation for another two weeks, unless you are asking him to join you."

"Johnny is going to be working with me, but if I'm going to be longer than two weeks I'll try to send him back." Jason told his friend. "Starting now I'm on leave. Keep your ear to the ground about Craig, but he isn't a priority."

"You got it." Cody said as his boss left. Looking around the office the enforcer tried to figure out what to do next. He should probably set up a meeting with Mrs. Quartermaine and make sure she had all his contact information. Of course knowing Jason that had already been handled. It was going to be an interesting time in Port Charles. If Lila could handle being married to Edward, then mobsters and idiots didn't stand a chance.

* * *

"Hello Lila." Johnny O'Brien said kissing her cheek as he and Chloe sat down in the parlor. "How are you feeling?"

"Quite well. I wasn't sure I would get a visit since this is just a short stop over for the two of you." Lila knew why Jason had called his friend home.

"I was surprised to be returning already, but Johnny assures me that he has a good reason." Chloe O'Brien said arching a brow at her husband. She suspected he was up to mischief by the twinkle in his eyes. She also suspected that Lila knew just what that mischief was by the twinkle in hers. Being out of the loop sucked.

"I promise you my love that the second honeymoon shall continue." He said kissing his wife's hand. Since his lovely wife was almost six months pregnant they needed to travel now because in a couple of weeks Kelly was going to say no more airplane rides. "Just in a new location." He had suggested Dublin so they could see his family, and mutual friends that lived there. Chloe adored his mother and they hadn't had a visit in a while. She was coming after the baby arrived, but Chloe wanted her mum to see her pregnant too.

"Uh-huh." Chloe said shaking her head. "Go do whatever it is you're supposed to, and I'll wait here for you to call."

"It's too early yet." He said looking at the clock. Jason should be leaving right about now though. Johnny could stay here but this promised to be too much fun to miss. Liz could hold a grudge with the best of them, and to Johnny's knowledge Jason hadn't ever groveled before. He didn't even think his friend knew how. Although Liz would probably not make Jason work too hard, she had a forgiving nature. She was also head over heels in love with him.

"Well in that case I'll send for tea." Lila said ringing for Reginald.

* * *

"Why are you here?" John Zacchara asked opening the door and finding his sister standing on the other side. She was the last thing Port Charles needed. The police weren't sure that the Craig lunatic was gone, and Claudia only promised more chaos.

"Nice greeting." Claudia said pushing past her brother and walking into his penthouse.

"Sure Claudia, come on in." John said shaking his head. He needed to get her out of his house as quickly as possible. "Why are you here?" He repeated.

"It's time for you to stop with the tortured artist routine and come to work like an adult." Claudia didn't mince her words.

"I'm not working in the business. I made that clear when dad died. You wanted it, so it's yours." John was happy to walk away. He couldn't have the life he did now if he had stayed in the mob. It was bad enough his last name made him something of a target his behavior wasn't going to make that worse. Jason had been kind enough to offer him somewhere safe to live, John wasn't going to jeopardize that.

Claudia rolled her eyes. "Done drama queen? I expect to hear from Maximus any day now that he has approved my request for a marriage alliance with Jason Morgan. When that happens you are going to be his second in command."

John looked at his sister before bursting out in laughter. "Morgan will never marry you."

"He will if the Don tells him to." Claudia countered. She had met Jason last year in Palermo, and wanted him on sight. While it was true the Zacchara family no longer had power or a territory they had name recognition. An old standing family that was still respected. Maximus had been a friend of her uncle, so with Morgan single this marriage match was going to happen.

"Maximus respects Jason too much to make a marriage pledge without his permission. Which isn't going to come." John said slowly hoping to get through to his sister. She was playing a dangerous game. Claudia liked to get her way, and she had no problem causing chaos in the pursuit of her goal. Morgan would put her in the ground before he married her, something his sister didn't want to hear.

"Do I have competition?" Claudia would get rid of them. Jason was going to be hers.

"No." John had no idea if Jason was dating anyone, they weren't that close.

"John." Georgie called out before stepping into the living room. She was wearing his shirt because she couldn't find any of her clothes.

"Get dressed and get out. We are discussing business." Claudia said to the brunette. "Pay her, and send her on her way." She told John. They didn't have time to waste with his bimbo.

"Excuse me?" Georgie said looking at the woman standing in her boyfriend's living room and giving orders. "Who the hell is she?"

"My sister Claudia." John said with a healthy dose of exasperation. He had told Georgie all about Claudia. His girlfriend said she sounded like another Carly. John had to agree. "Claudia this is Georgie Jones, my girlfriend."

"Yeah, I don't think so. John is going to need something better than you." Claudia said dismissing Georgie.

John was the only reason his sister wasn't picking up her teeth. He all but ran across the room and put his arm around his girlfriend's waist to keep her still. "Leave Claudia. Now. Call before coming back over." Because she was going to pop up again.

"Fine. Dinner tonight, somewhere nice. Leave the tart here." Claudia said before walking out.

"I don't like your sister." Georgie said through clinched teeth.

"Resist the urge to hit her. My sister carries a gun and she will shoot you." John told his girlfriend. In a fair fight Georgie would kick Claudia's ass, but his sister would cheat.

"I am a registered gun owner, and I'm willing to bet my aim is better than hers. Especially with a sniper rifle." Georgie said still breathing hard. "Keep her away from me."

"That's the plan." John said kissing her neck. "You're hot when you get all angry." He would need to call Jason and warn him about Claudia, and request a guard for Georgie. Just until his sister went home.

* * *

Elizabeth had one more visitor before the end of her shift, and it was one she really could have done without. She was finishing up the paperwork for one of the last discharges from the Metro Court when the elevator doors opened and Ric Lansing stepped out.

In hindsight Lucky had been a mistake, looking back Liz realized that Ric had been a bigger one. The fact that she married him twice embarrassed her, so she tried really hard to not think about it.

"Elizabeth." Ric walked over and gave her a warm smile. He had done a lot of foolish things in his life, letting her go was at the top of the list. He never remembered that she pretty much ran away from him as fast as she could.

"Mr. Lansing." She always kept things between them formal. It was her attempt to give him a hint that she wasn't interested in his friendship or anything more. It never worked. "Can I help you find a patient?"

"No." Ric said enjoying looked at her.

"A doctor?" Elizabeth tried hoping he was here on official business.

"No." Ric said smiling wider. "I came to see Sonny." He said hoping for some sympathy.

"Mr. Corinthos is two floors up in a private suite." Elizabeth let him know. Sonny was someone else she had no use for. The only people she felt sorry for in connection to his injury were Michael and Morgan. From what Liz was hearing they had lost their father despite the fact that he was still breathing.

"I also thought I could check on you since you were in the lobby last night. I was relieved to hear that you weren't injured." Ric said trying to be charming.

"Jason made sure I was okay." Elizabeth said with a wide smile. While yeah she was annoyed, and a bit hurt, by Jason's behavior she knew that would piss off Ric. It was an opportunity to good to pass up.

Ric knew she had been rescued in a stalled elevator with Jason, but tried not to think on that. Morgan had been an issue every single time Ric tried to get back together with Liz, not this time. This time Ric was going to win. His father said Claudia Zacchara requested a marriage alliance with Jason, and that woman never stopped until she got what she wanted. Jason was as good as off the market. "I'm sure his fiancee was happy to hear he was unharmed." Time to dent the enforcer's golden image.

"I bet she was his first call." Elizabeth said with a wider smile. She wasn't going to give Ric the satisfaction of knowing that hurt. Jason's avoidance of her made sense now. Man she was an idiot. "If you don't need anything, my shift is done. Be gone when I get out of the locker room or I'm calling security. I have told you countless times I'm not interested in having you in my life. Listen, or I get a restraining order." She said before turning and walking away.

* * *

"Is he gone?" Liz asked Nadine.

"Yeah, the coast is all clear." Nadine said with a smile. "With all the coffee importers you know, you can't find someone to deal with him?"

"It's complicated." Elizabeth muttered. The only reason Ric was still alive was because of Sonny. If the rumors were true about the retired mob boss's condition then the former D.A. should start packing to leave because more than a few people would be gunning for him. "Thanks."

"No problem. See you tomorrow." Nadine said heading to the hub to start her shift.

Elizabeth pushed the button to call for the elevator. She would pick up Cam and go to Steven's house. It would be wonderful to get off her feet. The doors opened and she found herself looking into the smiling eyes of Johnny O'Brien. She got on the elevator and stabbed the button for the third floor. "Would you like to tell me just who the hell Jason is engaged too?" She asked arching a brow as the elevator began descending.

* * *

Thanks for the reviews!


	5. Chapter 5

ABC/DISNEY owns GH. No copyright infringement is intended.

* * *

Chapter 5

"Hi Liz." Johnny said grinning. She had a good head of steam going already, so by the time she saw Jason later she was going to properly pissed. Which would be fun.

"Answer my question." Elizabeth told her friend.

"Where did you hear that anyway?" Johnny wanted to know.

"Sean O'Brien answer my question or that baby Chloe is having will be your last." Elizabeth said with real menace.

Johnny covered his crotch. "I like my boy parts where they are thank you very much." She used his first name which meant he was close to the point of explosion. "I will answer your question if you answer mine."

"Fine." Elizabeth bit out as the doors opened and they stepped off. "Well?" He was going first.

"Jason isn't engaged. Not even close. There is someone who wants a marriage alliance but it's not going to happen. Jason has to give his consent and he won't." Johnny knew that for certain. His friend hated Claudia Zacchara. Which was pretty common feeling for those who had met her. "You're turn."

"Ric stopped by to see me." Elizabeth said as they walked up to the door of the daycare center.

"Don't listen to anything that jerk has to say." Johnny started monitoring his language now. Short people would be joining them in a minute. That Ric knew about Claudia's request meant there was a leak. Didn't take a rocket scientist to figure out who that was since Trevor Lansing worked for the Zacchara's. Maximus would be less than pleased that information got out and that might make him reject the request before even speaking to Jason about it. Johnny would need to make a call. "Get the munchkin. I'll wait here."

Elizabeth nodded and punched in her passcode. Five minutes later she was back with Cameron who instantly abandoned her for Johnny. "Why are you here, aren't you on vacation?"

"Jason needed me. With everything that happened last night that isn't surprising." Johnny would use the hostage crisis as a cover until his true reason for coming back was revealed. "Since I was here I figured I'd come get you two."

"Thanks. I won't need to take a taxi." Elizabeth's car was in the shop, again.

"My pleasure." Johnny was already mentally shopping for the items it would take to get in Liz's good graces. He was thinking Chloe's entire spring line should do it. Since his lovely wife was gonna be angry too, he was probably going to have to pay for it. Jason was seriously going to owe him for this.

* * *

"Mr. Paul, do come in." Lila said smiling. She figured at some point he would want to see her she hadn't expected that it would be the same day Jason left. "Have a seat. Would you like coffee?"

"Actually tea would be better." Cody said smiling. All the guys knew Jason's grandmother. She was universally adored. Almost everyone came to pay her respect when Edward died.

"I thought that if you didn't have a steady stream of coffee it caused mental health issues." Lila said laughing. The amount of the dark brew her grandson drank was a little staggering.

"I do drink coffee. Kelly has me used to drinking tea as well. Mostly green tea, but my favorite is Darjeeling." Cody wasn't afraid to try new things.

"With milk?" Lila asked before calling for Reginald. Because it was after seven she was switching to herbal. On her doctor's orders.

"Yes ma'am. You can call me Cody if you like." He let her know.

"Thank you. You may call me Lila." She said extending the courtesy.

"No ma'am." Cody said grinning. "You are my boss's grandmother. We have rules about things like that."

"What fun is life is you don't break the rules once in a while?" Lila asked with a wicked grin.

"I'm gonna end up needing bail money, aren't I? I thought O'Brien was bad." Cody thought Jason's time away was going to be fun.

"Johnny is still in training." Lila said as the tea cart arrived. When they were alone she got them down to business. "What do I need to know?"

"Claudia Zacchara is in town." Cody was prepared to explain who she was.

"Because she thinks Maximus is going to agree to her marriage contract." Lila said rolling her eyes. "That will not be happening, so we will need to contain her when she blows. We also need to make sure Claudia doesn't suck her brother into the whirlpool she will create."

"You know Maximus?" Cody could tell by the way she said his name.

"I'm old. I know a great many people." Lila said laughing. "He will not match my grandson with that barracuda. Carly may come in handy in this situation. A phrase I never thought I would utter. Make sure she knows why Claudia is here. That should get Carly away from Sonny before Kate does something she shouldn't."

Cody was getting the fact that Lila knew everything that was going on in the city. "What is Kate going to do?" He didn't need Carly's role explained. Once she found out Claudia wanted to marry Jason, Carly would do everything in her power to make Claudia leave. Which would occupy both their time.

"Kate is sick of Carly. With good reason, but Kate is lazy. She will not want to do the work that is required to get rid of her opponent herself. She will call for help. More than likely from Trevor Lansing. That man is so hot to get into Kate's pants he will do whatever she asks. I don't have to tell you that Trevor running around with his son will be bad." Lila didn't like either one of them and thought Port Charles would be better off without its former district attorney. "Trevor cannot be allowed to come here and cause problems. With Sonny in a vegetative state Ric will want the protection his father can provide. Ric may also think with Jason out of town it will be a good time for a power play." The man was a wannabe gangster. Had been all his life.

"Would you like me to start with Ric or Carly first?" Cody would be happy either way.

"Johnny is going to be angry if you kill Ric." Lila pointed out. She knew the two men hated one another, possibly more than Ric and Jason did. "Pick our esteemed former D.A. up and hold him." She said giving the order. "Then go see Carly. Tell her Jason asked you to stop by and he wants her to stay away from Claudia until the marriage issue is settled. You will know what to do from there."

"Yeah, I know exactly how to play that." Cody said grinning. Jason should consider making his grandmother a partner.

"Will it be a problem for you to eliminate Claudia if it becomes necessary? I know that my grandson doesn't like hurting women if he can help it." Lila asked Cody. She respected that line of thinking, but also saw the pitfall. Women were often more dangerous than men. Thinking the opposite left you vulnerable.

"Threats don't have a gender." Cody knew it sounded cold, but it was the truth. His job was to protect Jason, his family, and the territory from anyone who was an issue. They learned how deadly women could be when Faith teamed up with Sorel. She damn near killed Sonny before Jason got to them.

"Good. Claudia is just that. Potentially the biggest threat of everyone we have talked about." Lila said leaning back in her wheelchair. "Has she been to see her brother?"

"Yes. John called Jason and reported she was here. John also requested a guard for Georgie." Cody passed along.

Lila just chuckled. "Georgie could take Claudia without breaking a sweat. But its best if she didn't have to. Ms. Jones is too sweet to have to live the rest of her life with the fact that she killed her boyfriend's sister. Anything else?" Lila figured that was enough, but there could be more.

"Not at the moment. May I ask a question?" Cody asked grinning.

"Shoot." Lila said granting permission.

"How do you know Maximus?" Cody was really curious about that.

"When Jason left after Sonny and Carly slept together, he ended up in Sicily for a time. I was worried about my grandson being away from home in that state. So I reached out to Maximus and asked him to keep an eye on Jason. He agreed in exchange for a favor. Which I granted." She wouldn't say what it was. "A few years later he needed a favor which I was happy to arrange. Then a year later he requested another favor and granted me a marker, even though I said it wasn't necessary. That's how I know that Maximus will not allow Claudia to marry my grandson."

"You cashed in that marker." Cody said laughing. "Maximus wouldn't have approved it anyway."

"No, I didn't cash in my marker. I still have that. The marker of a Don is not used lightly." Lila shook her head. "I simply called up and asked if he was going to approve the match."

"You're a hell raiser." Cody stated.

"I've got the tattoo to prove it." Lila said dropping him a wink. "More tea?"

"No thank you." He said laughing. "I have trouble to stir up and pest to put on ice."

"It's good to see a strong work ethic. We can chat again in a few days." Lila let him know.

"Good night Mrs. Quartermaine." Cody was still laughing as he headed out to his bike. Yeah this was going to be a lot of fun.

* * *

Cameron was strapped into the car seat in the back of Johnny's car while Liz got in the front. Chloe had assured Liz that Cameron was still welcome to come hang out with them after the baby came. Liz told her friend that was a sweet gesture but that the last thing they would need in the beginning was an active toddler underfoot. Johnny was worried his young friend would feel neglected, but Liz her friend that things would be fine.

She put her head back and closed her eyes. "Where is your wife?"

"Waiting for me to arrive." Johnny said pulling out from the parking lot. He passed Steven Webber who grinned and waved.

"Just take us to my brother's house. We will walk home from there." Elizabeth told her friend as she started to relax. Steven's house was one block over from hers.

Johnny didn't respond, instead he kept driving. When he turned he looked over and saw that Liz was asleep. That wouldn't last long, when the car stopped her eyes would pop open. By then they would be at the airstrip where the plane was waiting.

* * *

His prediction proved correct. He turned off the engine and Liz started blinking. The back door opened and as Cameron was removed from his protective seat she finished waking all the way. "Is that a plane?" She asked confused.

"It is. A Gulfstream. Really nice to fly in." Johnny said like it wasn't unusual for them to be here.

"Is that Milo getting on the plane with Cameron?" Elizabeth asked unbuckling her seat belt and getting out of the car.

Johnny had planned well. While Liz wouldn't be scared, she trusted him that much, she was going to demand answers. Having Milo take her son on board would mean she was going to board the plane as well so she could get Cameron back before demanding those answers. Right now she would probably think this was just Johnny goofing off or that he would think Cameron would like to see inside the aircraft.

"Johnny, I appreciate you wanting to show this to Cam but I'm exhausted. We can see Jason's new plane another time." Liz said jogging up the stairs and stepping into the entrance. From there she walked into the spacious main cabin and found Chloe which made her stop. "Johnny?"

"You should buckle up, we've been cleared to taxi." He said taking a seat.

"Taxi?" Elizabeth asked just as the fasten seatbelt sign lit up. "We're leaving?" This wasn't making sense but Johnny was grinning like a fool, and that was never a good sign. "Talk. Now."

"Take a seat, otherwise you'll end up on your bum." Johnny pointed to the spot next to Cameron's safety seat.

"Johnny why does Liz have that look on her face?" Chloe wanted to know. She had a suspicion and if she was right her husband was going to end up under the doghouse. Right next to Jason when Liz was done with him. There is no way Johnny would do this with Jason's knowledge. "You did tell her we were going away right?"

"Not exactly." He said giving his wife his most charming look as they lifted off the ground. He was now officially guilty of kidnapping. Not the first time he'd committed that particular crime, but the first time he'd done it to a friend or a child. Good thing he knew them.

"Johnny, I want an answer. Now!" Elizabeth was strapped in and glaring across the cabin.

Milo was laughing because she looked just like Jason. Cameron started laughing too, which made Milo laugh harder.

"Jason wants to talk to you." Johnny finally came clean.

"He's not in Port Charles?" Elizabeth hadn't realized that. "Did he go to the island?"

"Sonny owns the island, he kept that when he retired. Jason wouldn't go there." Johnny said looking over at his wife who was also glaring.

"He could have called me. I have to go to work tomorrow. I also promised Nikolas I would help him plan the funerals for Lucky and Lulu. You can't just put me on a plane to…where are we going anyway?" Liz demanded to know.

"I can't tell you that." Johnny said giving her a look. "You never tell someone where they are going when you snatch them." He explained how this worked. "If you know then you can call someone to come get you after we arrive."

Milo nodded.

"Do you know where we are going?" Liz asked Chloe.

"No, nor did I know about this plot. If I did trust me I would have warned you." Chloe said staring daggers at her husband. "You are in so much trouble Johnny."

"I know." The Irishman said on a sigh. "Jason wants to talk face to face uninterrupted, and he doesn't think that will happen in Port Charles."

"Johnny, I have people who are going to worry about me." Elizabeth said shaking her head. 'And vitamins to take.' She mentally added, when they landed she was going to need to make a phone call whether they liked it or not. Prenatal vitamins were an essential item these days.

"Jason took care of everything." Johnny assured her. "Just relax and enjoy the flight. Did you eat at work? Chloe needs to have a snack and there are other items in the pantry."

"We will have a snack too." Liz said unbuckling and then doing the same for Cameron, all the while making a list of all the things she was going to do to Jason when they landed.

* * *

Thanks for the reviews!


	6. Chapter 6

ABC/DISNEY owns GH. No copyright infringement is intended.

Lila running the mob was what Heather's challenge was about. Thank you Heather!

* * *

Chapter 6

The plane rolled to a stop and she looked at her watch. They had left Port Charles just before seven, and now it wasn't quiet ten. So they weren't that far from New York. Which didn't really tell her anything. They still could have left the country. Liz was willing to bet money on the fact they had left the United States. Getting them back into the country would not be an issue for the guys.

At the doorway a warm gust of air swirled around Liz and as ticked off as she was there was still no denying how nice that felt. In a week it would be Halloween and it was cold back home. Warmer than normal, but still cold. She and Cam were already in their heavier fall jackets. Pretty soon the winter gear would need to be dug out. She was just hoping for decent trick or treating weather.

Two cars were waiting and Jason was leaning against one of them. Without a word Elizabeth walked by him and opened the back door of the car. She put Cameron in the car seat before turning to Milo. "Please get the keys from Jason. We are not riding with him."

Johnny snorted until Chloe shot him a look. "You two." She pointed to her husband and her cousin. "Can ride to wherever we are staying together. I'm riding with Liz and Cameron." The designer said before walking over to the car.

Milo opened the door so she could slide in before heading over to Jason. "Do you want me to drive them to the house?" He knew where they were. Even if he hadn't been told the location in advance he would have known when he stepped off the plane. He had been here visiting his parents while they vacationed. He thought once the ladies stopped being angry they would enjoy their stay.

"That's fine." Jason said handing over a set of keys. "We will follow you to the house." Milo just nodded heading back to where the ladies, with Cameron, were waiting. "How tense was the flight?" Jason wanted to know. At their car he and Johnny did a quick round of odds/even to see who drove.

"Both the ladies are pissed." Johnny said getting behind the wheel. "Chloe will let it go tonight. We never go to bed angry, and then she'll pick it up again in the morning because my girl can hold a grudge." He loved that she didn't just bow down to him. "You on the other hand, are in some deep shit my friend." He shot Jason a grin. "Do you know how to grovel?"

"You say I'm sorry, a lot, and buy flowers." Jason said looking out of the windshield. He hadn't been here in years, in fact he had totally forgotten about it until Lila said he should bring Elizabeth here to talk. It was a smart move because not only would they be safe here they would have the chance to visit with an old friend. The island was not subject to American law, so the FBI had no jurisdiction should Elizabeth's revenge include having him arrested. Which he was betting it wouldn't. Finally it was a great place to come because Lila owned it.

Johnny just sighed, this was going to be harder than he thought. "That's apologizing. Groveling is a whole different animal. It starts with apologizing, and you better say what you did wrong. Ladies want to hear you admit your mistake. Then you promise never to do it again, and you don't break that promise. Ever." Johnny coached. "Do not buy flowers. That's contrite and overdone. Jewelry will get you a one way trip to the couch." He continued on. "So that's out too."

"So no gifts?" Jason said taking all this in.

"Gifts are fine, but they need to be meaningful. Something personal to the two of you. Whatever you give her you want it melt her heart, make her look at you with eyes full of love. It needs to make her remember the great times you have shared, and then help her to see why she should forgive you." Johnny passed along.

"Okay." Jason said frowning. "Elizabeth isn't very materialistic."

"I know." Johnny said laughing. "Which is why if get her a gift it will have more impact, she isn't used to people buying her things unless it's her birthday or Christmas."

"Anything else?" Jason wanted to know.

"Romance is never a bad thing." Johnny said as they pulled through the gates of the house. "Never."

"Not my strong suit." Jason added wondering if he could really pull this off. "But I'm willing to learn."

"The effort more than anything will do the work. Even if you screw it up, just trying will earn you points." Liz would appreciate that he thought of her more than anything else. "She needs to see that she comes first, and when we leave here you have to make sure to keep working on that." Johnny parked and looked over at his friend. "You and Liz have a seriously fucked up history Jason. Lots of coming real close and blowing it. Whatever you did this time you are in real danger of not getting another chance ever again. She is as pissed as I've ever seen her, and only part of it is this stunt we just pulled. I'm sticking my neck out for you, so don't blow it. And if you do blow it put in a good word for me, I don't want to lose my friend." He said grinning.

Jason paused before speaking. "I know this is it. I shouldn't have let us get to this point in the first place. We have both screwed up, but this time it's all me. My future is in that house and I'm willing to fight to keep it."

"Good. Be willing to cheat too." Johnny advised. "Sneak attacks are not necessarily a bad thing."

"All's fair in love and war?" Jason guessed.

"Exactly. Let her sleep tonight, and in the morning start your groveling." Johnny said before getting out of the car.

* * *

"Chloe, you don't have to be angry with Johnny." Liz said as Milo drove through the night.

"You're forgiving him?" Chloe asked surprised.

"Not at the moment, probably tomorrow." Elizabeth said crossing her arms over her chest. "Jason isn't getting a pass at the moment either. I'm just saying you don't have to take my side over your husband's. You can stay neutral."

"Johnny was wrong. I get his wanting to stick up for his friend, but kidnapping?" Chloe said shaking her head. "I think that's a bit over the line. They both had better make this up to you in a major way." The designer said meaning every word. She would let Johnny know her feelings on the matter before they went to bed. Then she would sit back and watch him grovel for forgiveness. Jason too.

"Johnny will just buy something." Liz said with a grin. That was his MO.

"I know." Chloe said laughing. "I can't wait to see what he picks. The last time he got in serious trouble with me he ended up buying a new veterinarian clinic for an African animal sanctuary I support."

"I doubt he will go that route with me." Elizabeth said suitably impressed with the gift. She also wondered what Johnny had done. She knew it wasn't cheating, because he was faithful to his wife, still it had to have been something to make Chloe really angry. "Its Jason I'm not sure about, we've never been in this situation before."

"Will you look at that?" Chloe said from the front seat as they pulled through the gate. At the end of long drive they could see a house lit up against the dark night. It was an impressive size. As they got closer to the structure they could hear the ocean in the background. It was going to be soothing falling asleep to that. "That is some house."

"It certainly is." Liz said wondering once again where the heck they were. Clearly somewhere tropical, that still left a lot of places to pick from.

Milo parked out front so they didn't have far to walk.

"Step out, please." Chloe said to the guard who instantly did so. "Okay, here is my suggested first step. We are here, wherever that is, and you don't have any luggage. You and Cameron are going to need items for your stay. So tomorrow we are going shopping. On Jason's dime."

"I have a credit card." Elizabeth didn't make a habit of using it, trying to save it for emergencies.

"And a full time job to pay that card off at the end of the month. Jason is paying for our shopping trip." Chloe was standing firm on that. "It's the least he can do, and we are going high end."

"That seems like such a Carly move." Liz explained what the problem was. While she was angry, she didn't like playing games. That just wasn't her.

"It's totally a Carly move. I don't like her, you know that." Chloe had refused to put a boutique in the Metro Court despite being asked to by her good friend Jax. She had no problem saying his harpy of a wife was the reason for the refusal. Chloe still didn't know why he had married that shrew. "But in this case that's what is called for. If you had your own things I would not be suggesting this. Jason could have just as easily asked you to come down and talk allowing you to plan. Instead, he and my idiot husband removed you from your home without consent. For that they pay. Literally." The designer would be surprised if they had to go much past that. Liz had a big heart and she probably wouldn't make Jason grovel that much.

"I should make Johnny buy me your whole spring line." Liz said laughing.

"You should, it's a great collection." Chloe said singing her own praises. "But it isn't here and you need clothing. You also need sexy swimwear." She said with a devilish grin.

Liz answered with one of her own. "Shopping tomorrow."

* * *

It was Johnny who opened the car door for his wife. The fact that she allowed him to hold her hand told him she was almost past this first stage of anger. That was good, he bet she and Liz were sitting in the car plotting. Whatever it was they came up with had them both sporting grins. Evil grins.

Milo opened the door for Elizabeth while Jason gathered a sleeping Cameron. She didn't bother to protest because her son was safe with the mob boss. No matter what they were going through that was always true. Jason loved Cameron as much as he loved Michael, Morgan, Kristina, and Molly. The girls no longer lived in Port Charles but they still got gifts from their Uncle Jason.

The group was at the bottom of the steps when the front door opened. "Oh my gosh!" Liz said as she sprinted and closed the distance to get a great big hug. "I didn't know you would be here."

"Jason called and said he was coming down so we hoped on a flight this morning." Francis said setting his friend back on her feet. She looked good.

"Did you help them plan this?" Liz asked arching a brow.

"Plan what?" Francis wanted to know. He stepped back so that everyone could enter the space.

"Wow." Liz said looking around. This place was gorgeous and the furniture was lush and inviting. From the foyer where they were standing you could see through the main room and there was the ocean.

"Liz." Skye said coming into the room.

"Hi." Elizabeth walked over and got a hug from Jason and Emily's sister. "It's wonderful to see you."

"It's great to see you too. Hello Chloe." More hugs were exchanged.

"Is Lila Rae here?" Liz wanted to spend some time with her goddaughter. Skye and Francis's daughter was the same age as Cameron, so Liz was also looking forward to the kids playing together.

"Upstairs passed out." Skye said laughing. "I took the liberty of overseeing your rooms being set up. Liz, Cameron's nursery is right down the hall from your room. Chloe you and Johnny are in the downstairs master so you don't have to deal with stairs."

"Thank you." Chloe was looking forward to zonking out. This was a late night for her.

"Yes, thank you. Chloe, you should have something to drink and get off your feet." Liz said swinging into caretaker mode. The designer's ankles weren't swollen, so that was good, still she should be taking it easy. Air travel could be hard on pregnant women. Hopefully jet lag wouldn't be an issue too. There were no clocks to say what the local time was. "Is there a doctor on the island?"

"There's a hospital about thirty minutes by car from here." Jason said speaking to Liz for the first time since she landed.

"I need to call for a prescription." Liz said responding to the room in general. Jason would know what she needed.

"I called it in. The runner brought it to the house just before I left. The bottle is in your room." Jason had covered his bases. Or most of them. Liz and Cameron each had one change of clothing upstairs so she would need to go shopping. With her this angry they might be here for a while.

"You sick kid?" Francis asked frowning. He hadn't talked to her in a few weeks. Despite not living in Port Charles anymore they were still close.

"You didn't say she was sick." Johnny looked at Jason. There was no way he would have helped if it meant jeopardizing Liz's health.

"No, I'm not sick. I'm fine." She promised. "Cameron's fine too." That would be their next worry.

"Okay, let's get back to my question." Francis said looking at the group. He would be watching his friend carefully. "What did the Tweedle dumb twins over there do?" He pointed to Jason and Johnny.

"They kidnapped me and Cameron." Liz said once again glaring at the two men.

"You left that out when you called to invite us over." Francis said to his friends trying not to laugh. He couldn't wait to get the backstory on this one. Liz was pissed at Jason, and to a lesser extent Johnny. Francis wasn't making a trip to the doghouse too. "May I ask which one of you came up with this brilliant scheme?"

"It was my idea." Jason admitted. He wasn't throwing Lila under the bus.

Skye just snorted. At some point tomorrow she would need to get the full story from Liz. It was sure to be interesting. Jason and the nurse had been dancing around one another for years. Apparently something had happened for her brother to do something like this. "When they say make a grand gesture, it generally doesn't include felony acts."

Chloe laughed out loud at that.

"Where are we?" Liz looked at Francis.

"A private island not too far from Bimini. The island is affiliated with the Cat Cays." Francis let her know. "Roughly two and a half hours from Port Charles." Man Jason had stepped in it this time. Liz's eyes were sparking fire. "I can arrange transportation back home for you, but I need about a week to get you papers." Jason more than likely had some, but Francis didn't see his friend turning them over unless Liz demanded to go home.

"Since Jason went through all this trouble to kidnap me. With the help of Johnny and Milo, I will give him the chance to have his say. Then he can take us back home." Liz said glaring. The damage to her schedule was already done so she may as well stay.

"Milo was just following orders." Francis pointed out.

"What about me?" Johnny asked Francis. "A little help would be nice."

"Nope." Francis shook his head. "You could have said no. Milo had to follow instructions." Johnny could have told Jason he was on his own. As the number two man in the Morgan organization he and Jason were close enough for that.

"I forgive you Milo." Liz said the mostly silent guard.

"Thank you Ms. Webber." Milo said grinning. This was going to be an interesting stay.

Johnny just rolled his eyes. He wasn't going to tell Jason no and Francis knew it. Jason had stuck his neck out, ignoring Sonny's direct order to kill Johnny. So if Jason wanted help fixing things with Liz he was going to get it.

"There are two very angry women standing there." Francis pointed to Liz and Chloe. "I don't want to make it three." He said looking at his wife. Francis was firmly on team Liz.

"Turncoat." Johnny muttered.

"Turncoat who is not in the doghouse." Francis replied laughing. "I'll carry the kid upstairs."

"Skye, have you been here before?" Chloe asked as Liz followed Francis and Cameron upstairs. The nurse said goodnight to everyone but Jason and Johnny.

"Yes. Did you need something?" She and Francis didn't live too far from here. He was retired from the mob and they enjoyed a tropical lifestyle now. Although she did miss New York from time to time. Never more so than now, she was worried about Alan. Emily was giving her frequent reports, but it was hard not being there.

"Information. Would you walk me to my room?" Chloe asked her friend.

"Sure thing." Skye figured she was going to get information as well. "Milo come with us and I'll show you your room at the same time. Night gentleman."

Alone Johnny just looked at Jason. "Them versus us." He saw how things were shaping up.

"Yeah." Jason saw it too. "Don't worry. I've got this." He wasn't going to settle for anything else.

"I hope so. Otherwise we are toast. I'm going to bed. I have a feeling I will need energy for tomorrow." Johnny said walking out of the front room.

Without a word Jason headed to his bedroom as well, because Johnny was probably right.

* * *

Thanks for the reviews!


	7. Chapter 7

ABC/DISNEY owns GH. No copyright infringement is intended.

* * *

Chapter 7

The next morning Liz came downstairs with a very happy Cameron on her hip. That was his normal state, it was a rare day when he didn't wake up smiling. That grin only got wider when they walked in the kitchen. He squirmed on his mother's hip and she put him down on the floor knowing exactly where he was heading.

"Hi buddy." Jason said smiling at the little boy who had run over to his side. He enjoyed anytime he got to see Cameron, and if that involved getting to push him on the swings then the day was even better. "Want to come up?"

Cameron nodded and grinned.

"Okay." Jason reached down and sat the little boy on his lap.

Francis was cooking and now laughing at the two of them. Cameron was leaning back onto his friend smiling, and clearly happy with the world. "Is a waffle okay, I've got a blueberry one ready to go?" Francis asked plating the item. It was for O'Brien, but kids came first.

"That's perfect." Liz took it and cut it up. Currently her son was eating waffles plain, a couple of months ago he wanted them with butter. Cameron wasn't super fussy but he let you know if he didn't like something. "Here you go baby." She also had a sippy cup with milk. Last night she noted the house was child proofed. Whoever owned it didn't mind having small people around.

"Fanks momma." Cameron said picking up a piece of waffle with his fingers. In public he had to use a fork, at home she didn't mind if he didn't.

"You're welcome." Liz said laughing. That never failed to crack her up. She grabbed some juice and leaned against the counter just watching her son and Jason. They just seemed to fit with one another. In a way that Cameron never fit with Lucky. Her ex-fiancé's inattention to her son hadn't left any scars for which she was grateful. When Lucky left his life Cameron didn't even seem to notice. If Jason disappeared tomorrow her son would realize it. Just another reason that they needed to figure out what happened now.

"There is another booster seat." Skye let Jason know. Lila Rae was sitting in one.

"This is fine. I haven't seen Cameron in a while and I like having him so close." Jason said accepting a piece of waffle that the little boy was holding up. Every few bites the small child would extend his arm upwards. "Buddy make sure you don't give away all your breakfast."

"Kay." Cameron said eating another piece.

"Are you eating breakfast?" Jason looked over at Elizabeth. She shouldn't be skipping meals.

"I'm not in the mood for waffles." Elizabeth answered. Before she could eat anything her stomach needed to settle. The pregnancy wasn't the same as her first in terms of sickness. She had learned that after getting up she could have juice, but needed to wait about thirty minutes to attempt food. She wasn't throwing up but nausea was an issue.

"Cam and I can make you anything you like. Right Cameron?" Jason offered before looking at the little boy.

"Right." Cameron said nodding as he ate the last of his waffle.

Liz tried not to let the fact that he was being so caring get to her. He wasn't being great with Cam or offering to make her breakfast to earn points. This was just him being who he was. At his core Jason liked taking care of people. She just hadn't ever truly felt that she ranked very high on his list of those he gave his time too. "I'll probably just have toast now and then a snack later."

"What activities are on the docket today?" Johnny asked gathering up plates.

"We're not on a cruise ship." Francis said laughing. He knew the ladies were going out, Skye mentioned it before going to sleep. She also mentioned something about spending a large chunk of Jason's money. As an opening salvo Francis approved. His friend could more than afford to buy Liz the nice things she deserved. Chloe and Skye were going to have to push some though because Liz wasn't a shopper by nature. Especially with other people's money.

"We are going out." Chloe announced pushing her plate aside. She had been hungry this morning. "Shopping. Liz and Cameron need more things. They should be fashionable during their captivity." She said poking at her cousin some.

"There are some fantastic boutiques over near the two big resorts on the island. I'd love to get a peek at just who a noted designer puts in her closet." Skye said with a smile. She owned quite a few of Chloe's pieces, including her wedding gown.

"How many times have you been here?" Elizabeth asked from over by the counter. She was munching on a piece of toast that Francis just made her. The decision to not sit at the table was a deliberate one. It just put her too close to Jason. Just because she was angry didn't mean he didn't still make her motor hum. The baby hormones weren't helping.

"About eight or nine." Skye said looking at Francis who just nodded. He was cleaning up. "Starting with our honeymoon. We came down and stayed for almost a year while we first figured out where we wanted to live, and then had work done on the house."

"Do you own the island?" Chloe asked Jason. Although the house didn't seem like him. It felt more like Lila, who could have decorated the space for her grandson.

"Lila owns it." Jason told his cousin. "She is letting me borrow it. If you ask I'm sure she'll let you come down as often as you like. She probably hasn't mentioned it before now because she knows you really like Puerto Rico."

"I do love it there. I always get so inspired." Chloe grinned because the last time they went she had gotten more than that. This baby was conceived at Jason's casino.

Johnny just smirked knowing what she was thinking. "So are we needed for this shopping trip?" He was always up for new clothes.

"No." All three women said in unison.

"Milo has to go then." Jason said not caring if they didn't like it. A heavy security presence wasn't needed but they should have some protection.

"That's fine." Chloe figured that would be the case anyway. Most days she didn't have a guard because she didn't like being followed around. It was one of the rare things she and Johnny still fought about. When Liz forgave Jason she would get a guard, and wouldn't complain. Which meant Chloe wasn't going to get a choice. Johnny would just assign her someone.

"Cameron can stay here with me. We'll hang out and get into trouble." He said tickling the small boy who squirmed and laughed.

Johnny looked out the corner of his eye and watched Liz eat the scene up. He wondered if his friend had any idea of how much of the work of being forgiven he was doing. Jason's love of her son was going to ease Liz's ire faster than anything else. But at the end of the day Jason was still going to have to step up and prove he was ready to be a husband as well as a father.

The ladies also noticed Liz and shared a look. They did want their friends to get it together. It was clear that they loved each other, they just had some issues to get through. Not even giant ones. They needed to stop repeating the habit of letting others come before each other. If they could do that, then everything would work out fine. "So shopping." Chloe said looking at Jason with a raised eyebrow.

Without a word he stood up with Cameron in his arms. That made the little boy giggle, and Jason pulled out his wallet. Sitting down he opened it and removed a card. His pale blue eyes landed on Elizabeth's dark blue ones. She was chewing her lower lip which didn't surprise him any. This would not be something she was overly comfortable with. "I didn't know the right sizes to get. I asked Skye to pick up what you guys are wearing today. I would like it if you got anything you wanted while you are out." He said taking the first steps in the groveling dance.

Elizabeth was in a vibrant blue sleeveless sheath dress that stopped right at her knees. Skye knew Elizabeth well from her time in Port Charles and had used that to guide her during the shopping trip. She also wanted something that Jason would enjoy looking at. It was paired with blue flats because Skye figured Liz would be chasing Cameron, but for shopping they worked well too.

Francis, Johnny, and Milo just beamed like proud parents at what Jason had said.

"We don't need much." Elizabeth said quietly making herself get up to retrieve the card. It felt heavy and she knew that was her self-conscious telling her to give the piece of plastic back.

"Get whatever you like. I'm sure Chloe and Skye can recommend some things." Jason said knowing they were certainly going to help Elizabeth spend his money. Or try to. There was just only so much she would purchase, even though he'd happily let her buy out an entire store. The money didn't mean anything to him, her being happy was all that mattered.

"Thank you." Elizabeth said taking the card. They did need clothing. "What is our time line, I mean you aren't requesting ransom so exactly when are you returning me to Port Charles?" She wanted to know.

Jason just grinned turning on the charm. "No clue. I figured we would stay until we knew what we were returning home too." In other words what their relationship would look like.

"My job is not going to be there forever." Elizabeth pointed out.

"I'll build you a hospital of your own if they fire you." Jason said and watched her blush some.

"Steven knows I'm gone." Elizabeth picked up on what he didn't say. "I'll strangle him when we get back." She said annoyed at her big brother. "We need to go shop." Now she was ready to spend money. Jason found time to talk to Steven and plan this escapade, but didn't talk to her.

"Have fun ladies." Francis said getting a smooch from his wife. He managed not to laugh when O'Brien simply got a peek on the cheek. His wife was still mad at him. Cameron got a kiss from his mom and Jason got nothing, not even a see you later, as the ladies walked out.

"I'll grab the sunblock and we can take the kids out to do something fun." Francis suggested. No point in sitting around the house, they were in paradise and should enjoy that fact.

* * *

"Have you ever shopped with Liz before?" Chloe asked Skye as she pulled a lovely dark green dress off the rack and held it against the red head. "You would look stunning in this."

Skye took the garment and draped it over her arm. "Not in person, we Skyped and emailed when I was putting together the nursery. She's very talented and was really generous with her time."

"I agree to both those statements. Every year Liz does the design for the limited edition Nurses' Ball t-shirts. Every year what she creates is amazing and it always sells out. She never lets me pay her." Chloe made sure Liz got her ticket to the gala for free each year as well as a free gown to wear. If she went, which Liz rarely did. She generally worked so that other staff could attend the event. "She isn't buying anything."

They were in shop number four and Liz had yet to make a single purchase. "That will change when we get to the children's boutique."

"Is Liz planning on being naked the enter time? Because I imagine that will bring Jason to his knees pretty quickly." Chloe said laughing.

"I think I'll try the naked approach the next time Francis is in trouble." Skye said laughing as well. "We may need to try a new approach. If she shows interest in an item just have them take it to the register, then we'll drag her up and make her pay." Then she looked at her friend's belly. "We'll have Milo drag her up."

Just then Liz came back from the side of the store she was browsing in. "I'm ready."

"Didn't find anything?" Chloe asked looking around thinking there had to be something in this boutique her friend would like. This was an established design house and one of her favorites.

"I found several things. I'm ready to go try the items on." Liz said grinning. "I didn't feel a pull for anything at the first three stores. I know the designers are popular right now. They just don't work with my lifestyle. I don't buy something if I'm not going to use it."

"You shop like Jason." Chloe said not all that surprised. "Let's get you ladies into the dressing rooms so that I critique your looks." The designer was in maternity clothes now and nothing in the shop would fit her.

"So how long before you forgive Jason?" Skye wanted to know. She started with the green dress. Coming out she stood in front of the three way mirror. "

"Nice." Chloe said from her chair. Milo was waiting out in the front of the store.

Liz came out also in green. "I've already forgiven him." She said turning to have a look. "Now I just have to tell him." She said with a wicked smile before laughing. "I needed to calm down first so I didn't say something I couldn't take back."

"Get that." Chloe pointed to Liz's dress. "Why did you forgive him so fast?" Although the not telling him yet promised to be entertaining.

"The man orchestrated all this just to have time alone with me." Liz said going back into the dressing room and changing while Skye did the same. "He left Port Charles at a time when people are running around being crazy because he wanted to clear things up between us. I can't stay angry at that." That didn't mean their issues were over, it just meant she was letting her anger go.

"Have you figured out what he wants from you?" Skye still wasn't clear on that.

"No. I've known Jason for a decade now, I'm not sure I've ever really known what it was he's wanted from me. We've never sat down and had that conversation." Liz admitted coming out, looking at herself and frowning.

"Reject pile." Chloe said from her chair. "What do you want from him?" She asked as Skye came out. "That is a keeper." Chloe told the redhead.

"You want me to be completely honest?" Liz asked turning to face her friends. She trusted both of them. They were obviously on her side, and the only people they would talk to this about was their husbands. Two men Liz would trust with her life and Cameron's.

"Yes. Because if you can be honest with us then maybe you can be honest with yourself." Skye told her friend.

"I want us together, as a family." Elizabeth said it out loud for the first time ever. "Marriage, house, dog, the whole nine yards. I want that more than I think I can make you know."

"Are you willing to fight for that?" Chloe wanted to know. That's what it came down to.

"If I know I'm not fighting alone. Then yes." Liz said taking a deep breath. "I've never been first with Jason, until now. I need to know that this isn't just a stunt. That'll I'll still be first. Even saying that I know there are times that the job takes precedent." She tried explaining what she was thinking.

"We both get it." Chloe said grinning. "I had my vacation relocated for this. Although I'm not complaining the island is gorgeous."

"Even when he walks out the door at midnight to handle business, you want to know that if Cameron spiked a one hundred and four fever Jason would find a way to get to the hospital." Skye looked at her friend who nodded. "We get it."

"You're the lucky one." Chloe looked at Skye. "Your guy is retired."

"I didn't ask that of him." Skye pointed out. "That's not a sacrifice I would have demanded. He wanted to be there for Lila Rae's early years. He didn't want to miss her firsts."

"You think Francis is going to come out of retirement?" Elizabeth thought she heard a strange tone in Skye's voice.

"I think he's ready to work again." Skye admitted. "I'm okay with that. I'm hoping we end up in Port Charles."

"Jason won't let him work for anyone else." Liz would love to have her friends close again. "Emily will freak out. You know that right? Having you around all the time is like her dream."

"I miss her. Now that she's done with school she's constantly working but we can still find time to hang out." Skye would need to find something to do with herself back in Port Charles when Lila Rae went off to school. They were also considering another child but that could happen back home.

"She's going to kick ass as a doctor." Liz said confidently.

"She will." Chloe was proud of Em. "So want to have some fun?" She asked with an evil grin. "Since you don't plan on telling Jason he is forgiven just yet."

"Sure, what did you have in mind?" Liz asked feeling Lizzie rising up.

"We need to go back to the first store. There are some things we are going to need." Chloe said smiling wide. Jason was about to get it with both barrels. After he was brought to his knees then Liz could tell him he was forgiven.

* * *

Thanks for the reviews!


	8. Chapter 8

ABC/DISNEY owns GH. No copyright infringement is intended.

* * *

Chapter 8

Lila finished her work for her company and reached for the phone. Now she had other business to handle. She dialed the international number and listened as the line rang.

"Hello?" Came the heavily accented voice.

"Hello Maximus." Lila said smiling.

"Lila." He was smiling as well. "This is a pleasure. I was going to call you later in the week. How is your son doing?"

"He is stable, thank you." Lila prayed that Alan remained that way.

"I am glad to hear that. If you need anything please let me know." Maximus had a great deal of respect, and affection, for Jason's grandmother. "My Margareta is enjoying the rose clippings you sent. They are a stunning addition to the garden." That was one of the favors he had requested.

"I'm glad." Lila said smiling wider. She and Mrs. Giambetti both had a passion for roses. Margareta wasn't having much luck growing them, so Maximus had asked if Lila could send some of her hybrids to help. He remembered Jason talking about the blooms. "I have another variety she might like, she and I will discuss that later."

"I look forward to seeing them." Maximus grinned as he answered. "So what may I do for you?"

"We have a visitor here in Port Charles, one who is most unwelcome." Lila let all the warmth leave her voice.

"Who would that be? And may I ask why you are not bringing this to Jason's attention?" Maximus didn't mind handling this for Lila, it was just a well-known fact Morgan would move mountains for his grandmother.

"Jason has taken a leave of absence." Lila said starting to laugh. "He has gotten himself into a bit of trouble with the woman he is in love with. So I am advising Mr. Paul during this time."

Maximus just laughed out loud. "I have been there." He said when he was back in control. "The doghouse, as you Americans say, is a cold and lonely place. May his stay be short. Who is your visitor?" Maximus had no problem with Lila running things.

"Claudia Zacchara." Lila let him know.

"Shit." Maximus replied. "She was told to stay out of New York until I issued my decision. By the way you should know that I have no intention of condoning a marriage alliance between Jason and that woman." He couldn't stand Claudia. "I wanted her to remain in Europe because she is not going to like that."

"With your permission we would like to handle her. John is here and I am worried she will derail his new life. The sooner this is taken care of the better." Lila passed along. The young Zacchara had played the piano for her on more than one occasion, he was extremely talented and a very nice young man.

"She is yours." Maximus couldn't wait to see how this played out. "O'Brien sent me a message that Ric Lansing has already mentioned that Jason is engaged. Have you heard any rumors?"

"None, so whoever he told hasn't spoken of it." Lila said frowning, knowing exactly who the annoying lawyer would have mentioned that to. "Mr. Paul paid him a visit last night. Our former district attorney has taken an emergency leave of the city. Family issues." Ric was in fact in a warehouse awaiting Johnny's return.

"It is a tough time for the Lansing family. Trevor suffered a terrible accident last evening." Maximus knew who the leak was. Trevor would have been wise to keep his mouth shut. Maximus wasn't surprised the attorney was talking with his son. No doubt Trevor had encouraged Claudia's trip. Possibly hoping for a reason to go to New York to see Kate Howard. People's personal lives caused more issues than business manners did. "So the timing works out well all the way around."

"It's always a pleasure to work with you Maximus. Do you need Mr. Paul to give you an update on Sonny?" Lila would ask the enforcer to call.

"No, Sonny is no longer a part of our world. What happens to him no longer concerns me." Maximus didn't care about Craig either. That was a police matter, although Jason might look for the man for endangering his family members. "I would like to be kept up to date on Jason's doghouse stay." That would prove to be more interesting. He wondered who the woman in question was.

"Absolutely." Lila said laughing. "I'm waiting on an update myself. I don't think his visit will be very long. It was good to talk with you."

"It always a pleasure to speak with you." Maximus said as the conversation ended. He really should have tried harder to talk her into taking a territory.

Lila hung up and looked out at her roses. She wondered how things on the island were going.

* * *

"So what are your plans for tonight?" Francis looked over at where the kids were playing before looking at Jason. It was just after lunch and they were at one of those indoor play areas. Lot of tubes to crawl through and balls to jump in. They had spent the morning, since it was cooler, outside at a more traditional playground.

"Dinner." Jason told his friends. "Her, me, and Cameron. I figured I would drive us into town."

"That's good, paint the picture of what family dinners could look like." Johnny said grinning.

"You do know that most of your work is going to come when you go back to Port Charles, right? That's when you really have to man up and prove that you are going to stick to making her and Cameron a priority. Here on the island is not reality, and because it isn't Liz won't want to stay here for very long." Francis pointed out. He was guessing their time here would be short. He thought Jason had come too close to permanently screwing things up between him and Liz this time. Francis didn't have the whole story, but he got that sex was involved. Which made him not really want the entire tale.

"Carly isn't just going to welcome Liz with open arms." Johnny pointed out. "You may have to choose."

"I've already chosen." Jason said smiling at Cameron who was now sitting. The little guy was running out of steam, but didn't want to admit it. "Carly will deal, or she won't. The choice is hers to make."

Johnny and Francis just looked at each other. The blonde woman didn't do well with boundaries or being told no. Sonny being in a vegetative state would hold her attention for a while, but when it became clear she wasn't going to get her way there she would once again focus on Jason. Maybe even more obsessively than before since she didn't have to split her time between him and Sonny. "That's easy for you to say now." Johnny told his friend. "She isn't calling you all the time, or shoving Michael in your face."

"Michael has Jax, he doesn't need me. In the past year I've stepped back from being a presence in both boys' lives." Jason pointed out, it had been the right move. With Sonny also letting Jax be the main male role model Michael's behavior had drastically improved. Jason wondered how much better it might get if Carly grew up too. "And she has been calling me. I just haven't been answering."

"You can't hide forever." Francis spoke up. Jason had a history of avoidance. Of not speaking up, which no doubt contributed to the problems he was having with Liz. She also had the same problem, but from what he had heard Lucky's affair was the wake-up call needed to make her change that bad habit.

"I don't intend to." Jason looked at his friend. "I will talk with Carly when I return to Port Charles. I get that I'm very much responsible for the fact that she thinks she has the right to run my life. I also know that conversation isn't going to be pretty. Her response is more than likely going to be to do something stupid. Which is when she will learn she really is not my priority anymore. Hopefully Jax will be able to get her out of whatever mess she creates." Jason said shrugging.

Francis was going to talk to Skye tonight. It was time to return to Port Charles. Not to the mob though, he was done with that life. But there was no way he was missing Carly being put in her place, because Jason really meant what he was saying. It wasn't the words that had Francis convinced, it was how Jason was saying them. Whatever Liz had said to precipitate this kidnapping had been heard.

Johnny just smiled wide. This was going to be fun, hopefully Jason talked to Carly somewhere public. Johnny wanted a front row seat to her head exploding. "Okay, next order of business." This morning they hadn't talked about Port Charles at all. "Ric told Liz you were engaged."

Jason just huffed. "You would think that he would not want to piss me off at the moment. With Sonny in a coma I'm more likely to take Ric out."

"Can I do it?" Johnny asked totally serious. "You won't have to get me a birthday present, ever again. Or Christmas. You still have to buy the baby a gift though."

"Sure, why not. You did help me kidnap Elizabeth and Cameron." Jason had no problem with Johnny pulling the trigger. "One of us should probably check in and tell Cody to pick the idiot up. Elizabeth hasn't mentioned the engagement yet."

"I told her it wasn't true before we left the hospital." Johnny said stretching out his legs.

"Was anyone else around?" Jason asked his friend. "The hospital runs on gossip."

"No one was around." Johnny promised. "So if the rumor spreads it won't be from that source."

"Knowing Ric he will run straight to Carly." Jason said shaking his head.

"Might not be a bad thing." Francis said chuckling. Lila Rae and Cameron were both barely awake. "It will give her something to focus on. Who are you supposed to be marrying?" Being out of the mob, meant being out of the loop.

"Claudia Zacchara has requested a marriage alliance." Jason told his friend.

Francis laughed so hard he started turning red. "Priceless. You'd kill her before the ink dried on the license. If Carly goes after Claudia you won't have to talk about boundaries. Claudia is just as nuts as Anthony was."

"It's a possibility. Claudia is in New York." Johnny told Francis. "She's already pissed off Georgie Jones. It's just a matter of time before she and Carly cross paths." If they knew what Lila had told Cody they would know that meeting was inevitable.

"You going home?" Francis asked Jason. This would be test number one.

Jason watched Cameron lean onto one of the big tubes and finally succumb to sleep. "Not without my family." Which meant not until Liz was ready. "The kids are out." He said standing up and walking over.

"Cody won't let Claudia kill Carly." Johnny knew that for a fact. "But if the former Mrs. Corinthos isn't careful, Jason will be the one who ends up taking her out."

"It will be hard on him if that happens." Francis said standing up as well.

"Yeah, which means I have to try to prevent it." Johnny stood up as well. In his mind that meant two options. Either getting Carly to leave Port Charles, or taking her out himself. Because he saw no scenario where she actually behaved.

* * *

Cody stepped into the hospital room and cleared his throat to get the attention of the two women who were glaring at one another. It just amazed him that Carly was even here. Kate was Sonny's fiancée, although she didn't seem that grief stricken, so if anyone should be keeping a bedside vigil it was her.

"What?" Carly snapped at the enforcer. She couldn't figure out why he would be here. The guys were keeping their distance from Sonny since he retired. Even Jason.

"I need to speak with you." Cody was used to Carly's attitude. He was just happy he was never one of her guards.

"I'll be right back, we can talk about the fact that Sonny is not being moved to a facility in New York City then." Carly told Kate before walking out of the room. There was no way they were sending him out of town. Not as long as she was still breathing.

Kate didn't say a word. Carly could huff and puff all she wanted. The paperwork had been signed by Dante this morning, so the move was a done deal. Jax had approved Crimson's move to the city, and Kate could oversee Sonny's care. It was the best thing all around, but of course Carly was pissed because no one consulted her. Once Trevor called her back Kate was going to have Carly handled. Jax could find a better wife.

"What?" Carly repeated out in the hallway.

"Jason asked me to come find you." Cody said setting everything in motion. "He had to go out of town on business. He wants you to stay away from Claudia Zacchara until after the marriage contract issue is settled."

Carly just blinked. "Marriage contract? Between Jason and that fucking nutjob Claudia?" She had to be mistaken.

"Palermo has not issued its decision yet, so Jason wants you to not rock the boat." Cody tried to not smirk. Easiest fish he ever landed.

"He cannot be serious. There is no way he is marrying her. What the hell is Jason thinking?" Carly declared, like it was any of her business. "Wait, he wants me to stay away from her. She's here in Port Charles, no doubt already decorating the penthouse. I don't think so." Without another word Carly stormed off toward the elevator.

"Is Jason really considering marrying Claudia?" Kate asked surprised. That was not a pairing destined to succeed.

"With all due respect Ms. Howard, that is none of your business." Cody wasn't a fan of hers either.

Kate got the message. "At least she is out of my hair. Hopefully Claudia will keep Carly occupied for a few days." Sonny was being transferred from General Hospital tomorrow. Which meant Kate was flying down to New York tomorrow, before flying back to Port Charles to oversee the packing up of her house. Clarice, and Kate's newest assistant Abby, were overseeing the packing of the magazine offices.

"Have a good day." Cody said before walking away. Marco was assigned to watch Carly, and Ritchie was tailing Claudia. When the two women met up both guards would have a front row seat to the explosion. He couldn't wait to hear those reports.

* * *

Claudia took a seat in the diner and waited for the waitress to come over. Port Charles wasn't really her cup of tea, but this was Jason's powerbase so it was going to have to do. Surely there had to be some decent restaurants in the city, because she wasn't going to make a habit of eating here.

"Great, what do you want?" Georgie asked Johnny's sister.

"Is that how you greet all your customers?" Claudia asked giving attitude right back.

"If they are loud mouth bitches who call me a prostitute, then yes." Georgie said with a wide smile. "You are welcome to sit at another table, on the other side of the room. Less chance of you getting poisoned."

"Maybe if you had been dressed when I arrived, I might have come to a different conclusion. Half naked doesn't make the best first impression." Claudia took in the short brunette standing in front of her. The fact that a mob guy was taking all this in hadn't gone unnoticed. Since he wasn't eating, there was a good chance he was here guarding John's girlfriend. Which meant her brother felt strongly enough to want her to stay safe. That was fine, Claudia had called in a few favors and learned some things about Georgianna Jones, like she wasn't a tart at all. She was actually in law school, on a full scholarship. So she might come close to being good enough for John. Claudia would make up her mind about that after observing them together for a while. "I'll have a Cobb Salad to go." Claudia wasn't going to apologize for her earlier remarks, until she had to. "Hold the poison."

Order placed Georgie moved off before she gave into the urge to bash Claudia's head in with the napkin holder.

At her table Claudia just chuckled. She was going to have fun messing with Georgie. Looking up she saw Carly standing there glaring through the window. A slow smile came to Claudia's face, she was hoping to run into that particular bitch. The day was looking up all ready.

* * *

Thanks for the reviews!


	9. Chapter 9

ABC/DISNEY owns GH. No copyright infringement is intended.

* * *

Chapter 9

"Claudia." Carly came in and walked over to the table where the troublesome bitch was sitting. "Get the hell out of my city."

"Your city?" Claudia just shook her head. "We both know you don't have any real power. You cling to rich men to give you some illusion of self-worth, but really you are just a paper tiger. A worn out one at that. Sonny tossed you aside, numerous times, and you couldn't hold onto Lorenzo. You have Jax, but given your track record that won't last for long. And now you are sticking your nose into business that doesn't concern you." Claudia knew why Carly was here. "When Jason and I get married you will be the first thing to go."

"You really are crazy. There is no way in hell you are marrying my best friend. He just got rid of one skank, a batshit lunatic like you is the last thing he needs." Carly shot back. "So you can pack up your bags, salvage what little dignity you have, because coming here to claim a man who doesn't want you reeks of desperation, and go the hell home."

"You would know about desperation wouldn't you Carly. You think no one knows you are just waiting for Jason to invite you back into his bed?" Claudia said with a wide smile. The other patrons in the restaurant were taking this all in. Which was fine, they would be the first to learn who the new top bitch in town was. "Never gonna happen."

"I am happily married." Carly would never admit that truth of that statement. But yeah she would take Jason back in a heartbeat.

"Please. If you were happily married, you would be spending more time with Jax and less time running after two men who have no use for you. I wonder what your husband is doing with all his spare time." Claudia taunted. "I hear that Alexis is single now. As is Brenda Barrett." Information was power and Claudia knew something about everyone of importance in this town. She knew all the power players, and anyone who would prove to be an obstacle in getting to Jason. With Sam dead the way was clear, no one was keeping her from her goal.

"You are not going to marry Jason." Carly repeated, thinking that she might need some help in getting rid of Claudia. With Jason out of town it was the ideal time for this bitch to go, that way he wouldn't have to deal with her when he got back. Carly would handle this mess for him. What was needed was someone who was just as crazy as Claudia, so Carly would call and find out where Jerry was at the moment. He could take out the trash.

"We will see won't we Carly." Claudia said standing up as Georgie returned with her order.

"Oh my god, I actually agree with Carly on something. Now I really don't like you." Georgie said shoving the bag at her customer. "Pay and leave. We do delivery so you don't have to come back."

"I'm sure I'll see both of you around town." Claudia said before throwing a twenty on the table and walking out. Not bad for her second day in town. At some point she was going to have to make peace with Georgie, she could do that for her brother. But Carly needed to go, it would be best if that happened before Jason returned from wherever the hell he was. No matter who she contacted no one knew where he was. After this late lunch she would call Trevor again, he hadn't called her back last night, and then she could start figuring out how to get Carly to go away.

* * *

"Did you ladies have a nice shopping trip?" Johnny asked taking a seat at the covered table next to theirs. They were in the patio area of the house and the kids were splashing in an inflatable kiddie pool. If any of the adults felt like getting wet they could use the in ground pool. That would probably happen tomorrow at some point.

"We did." Skye confirmed sipping her iced tea. Francis walked out having taken her bags upstairs. She patted the chair next to her. He was the only guy sitting at the table with the ladies.

"Lunch was good too." Chloe said smiling at her hubby. Tonight she would let him know that he was no longer in trouble. Since Liz wasn't angry anymore Chloe didn't need to be either. Before she completely forgave her hubby she wanted to hear his plans for getting back in Liz's good graces.

"Where did you ladies eat?" Francis wasn't surprised they didn't return until after naptime was over. He was a little worried about the gleam in his wife's eyes. They had more than enough time to plan something to make Jason regret whatever it was he did.

"There is a new Mexican restaurant on Main Street. Chloe had a craving for guacamole, so we went there." Skye told her husband. "We should go before we leave the island."

"I'm always up for date night." Francis loved time alone with his wife.

"Elizabeth?" Jason was sitting with Johnny, and when Francis mentioned date night it was a good segway into what he wanted to ask her.

"Yes?" She turned her head from where she was watching the kids play. Even in the kiddie pool they needed to be supervised. They were having a great time splashing one another.

"Would you and Cameron have dinner out with me tonight?" Jason asked her. He was surprised that he was nervous. They hadn't ever been out on a date not that tonight would count. This would be a family night.

"No." Elizabeth said checking on the kids before continuing. Jason looked like someone kicked his puppy, and she wanted to laugh. "You and I are having dinner tonight. Chloe and Skye offered to babysit Cameron while we are gone."

"Oh." Jason said and out of the corner of his eye he could see O'Brien smirking. "I didn't pack a suit, do I have time to go get one?" Francis would be able to tell him where to go.

"You don't need a suit. Just clean jeans, and a clean shirt." Elizabeth let him know. "We are leaving at seven. Skye if I'm still here when you guys go out, then I'd be happy to watch Lila Rae."

"If she's not then we will watch her." Chloe added on. They still didn't know just how long Jason and Liz would be down here. The O'Briens still had two weeks of vacation to burn.

"Thanks." Skye said smiling. It really was time to consider returning to the States. She missed having close friends to hang out with and count on. They had friends on the island where they lived, but not close ones. Because of Francis's past they tended to keep to themselves a lot.

"Where are we going?" Jason wanted to know getting back to the subject of their date.

"I picked somewhere we will have fun." Elizabeth told him, keeping it cryptic.

"Okay." Jason said as both his friends chuckled. Clearly Elizabeth had a plan. One he had no problem following. In fact he was downright curious as to what she had in store for him.

"I need a nap." Chloe said getting to her feet. "I will be awake in time to help you get ready for your date." Liz had tried everything on in the dressing room of the store, but didn't let them see the final result. So Chloe was curious. She also would be on hand with a sew kit for any last minute adjustments.

"My room five-thirty." Liz said grinning. The last time she had friends over to prep for a date she was still living in her studio. Em had come over to help Liz get ready for dinner with Ric. It seemed like a life time ago.

"Come on Johnny." Chloe said as she walked toward the house. She napped better with him around, and if they did more than sleep it wasn't anyone else's business.

"See you guys later." Johnny said following his wife. He was a big fan of naptime.

"Lila Rae has really enjoyed playing with Cameron today." Skye said as her daughter climbed out of the pool and ran over. She grabbed a towel. "Done?" She asked her daughter.

"Uh huh." Lila Rae answered.

Cameron ran over to Jason, because his friend was there. Liz didn't feel slighted in the least. In fact she loved that her son felt so comfortable around Jason. Children knew who they could trust. "I'll grab you a towel." Liz said getting up.

"I'm going to get Lila Rae changed into something dry." Skye said heading into the house.

"Come on Cam." Liz said taking him from Jason. "Mommy got you some new clothes. You can pick out what you want to wear."

"Kay." Cameron said cuddling close while wrapped in the soft towel.

* * *

"You ready for dinner?" Francis asked smiling.

"No clue." Jason admitted as they drained the pool. "Elizabeth has medical training so odds are good I will survive it. If that is in her master plan."

"That's the spirit." Francis said slapping his friend on the back. Should be an interesting night.

* * *

Nikolas stepped off the elevator on the sixth floor and walked over to the nurses' hub. "Hi Amy, is Liz working?" He had gone by her house when she didn't show up at four. Since she was working just the day shift it would end at three. When he got no answer, and didn't see her car he figured her shift ran long. So he decided to come to the hospital and pick her and Cameron up. He had a plan for the night, he was going to make it a late night of funeral planning and then offer her a guest suite. That way they could have breakfast together tomorrow. He wanted them spending as much time together as possible.

"Liz didn't work today." Amy told Nikolas. "She is off the schedule for the rest of the week."

"Why?" Nikolas asked frowning. "She said she was working."

"She was on the schedule." Amy said nodding. "Now she's off. I heard she had a family emergency." She leaned closer. "But Steven is still here, which is weird."

"That is odd." Nikolas said frowning harder.

"The fact that Ric is having a family emergency too, has folks talking." Amy passed along. "They are saying that she went to Italy with him to handle whatever happened with his father. Ric was here last night just before Liz finished up her shift."

"I wasn't aware that they were still in contact with one another." Nikolas didn't like that at all. He knew that the attorney was still interested in Elizabeth and like Lucky, Ric's interest bordered on the obsessive. In fact Ric was probably more dangerous to Liz than Lucky could have ever been.

"Ric is always coming around to see Liz. I saw them together just the other day, with Cameron." Amy as usual only had half the story, and didn't realize that she was reaching the wrong conclusion. What she had seen was Liz once again telling Ric to stay away from her and her son. "I'm sure she will be back soon."

"Thank you." Nikolas said walking back to the elevator and hitting the call button with more force than necessary. Ric's father was somewhere in Italy. Nikolas had friends all over that country. He would make some calls and find out where they were. Then he would fly over and bring Elizabeth and Cameron back home where they would be safe. They would never find Ric's body, and no one here would miss him.

* * *

"Hello Cody." Lila said greeting her guest. "Have a seat."

"Mrs. Quartermaine. I thought I would come and check in." Cody had just heard from Ritchie and Marco. "I recognize that twinkle in your eye, would you like to go first?" The former solider asked grinning.

"Ladies first is the way to go. Trevor is not going to be an issue. Maximus handled that, so Ric's leave of absence came at the perfect time." Lila said smiling.

"Funny how all that worked out." Cody would make it point to never piss off Jason's grandmother. "Claudia and Carly had words at Kelly's. After Georgie threatened to poison Claudia's lunch."

"I do so like Georgianna. She has spunk." Lila knew the younger Jones sister well, she had no interest in knowing the older one while she was alive. "However she should not issue any more public threats. We don't want her as a suspect in Claudia's disappearance. John taking Georgie on a trip isn't an option with school in session." Which would be the fastest way to make it so Georgie wasn't a suspect.

"When we dispatch Claudia we will need to do it in a way that leaves no doubt that she wasn't poisoned." Cody would start thinking about that.

"I have a couple of ideas about that." Lila said slowly. "Let me think on it. One plan would require that your guest's body turns up somewhere else."

"We can make whatever you come up with work. If your idea works out better than mine." Cody said grinning.

"Would you like a friendly wager?" Lila wanted to know. "Winner's choice?"

"Deal." Cody almost wanted to throw the bet just to see what she asked for. "Sonny's being transferred from the hospital. To New York City, Kate is moving."

"Good. She didn't really belong here anyway. She can do better than Sonny." Lila had at one point like the former mob boss, but then he changed. "Anything else?" It would be better if Cody wasn't here when Monica and Em arrived home. Lila didn't want them to know what she was up to. Neither one of them was working just yet so they tried to be in the mansion so she didn't have to eat alone.

"That's it for now." Cody was also aware of the time.

"Take the white box on the table with you." Lila told the enforcer. "I understand Dr. Lee likes mums."

"She does. Thank you." Cody knew Kelly would love whatever was in the box. Lila's plants were a coveted gift. She didn't share them with just anyone. "I'll check in again when I have more to report."

"I look forward to it." Lila said as he walked out of the parlor. She turned her attention to making Claudia disappear. It was going to hurt John, but Georgie would be there to take care of him. That was the only down side to this whole thing. But if Lila played her cards correctly then they could get rid of the last two problem children all at once. She needed to think on this, and figure out how to arrange that.

* * *

Thanks for the reviews!


	10. Chapter 10

ABC/DISNEY owns GH. No copyright infringement is intended.

* * *

Chapter 10

"Okay, let's see the outfit!" Chloe was sitting on Liz's bed with her legs stretched out. It had been a fun time hanging out while her friend got ready for her date with Jason.

"I don't know if the two of you are ready for this." Liz called back laughing. Once Chloe suggested dinner out, then Elizabeth picked the outfit knowing just the look to go for.

"Get out here." Skye demanded also laughing.

"Okay, what do you think?" Liz asked coming out and doing a turn her for her friends.

"Well, damn." Chloe said grinning. "You may kill him."

"Who knew you had this side to you?" Skye asked giving her friend a thumbs up.

"This isn't the first time I've worn leather." Liz said with a smirk. In the full length mirror on the closet door she looked herself over. A tight cropped red top was paired with a short black pleated leather skirt with a buckle opening. But not too short because she wasn't giving anything away. On her feet were knee high black suede boots. An odd choice for a tropical island, but the perfect choice for the man she was going out with.

"Do tell." Skye just bet that was a great story.

Chloe sat on the bed and gave her friend's outfit a critical look. Liz was killing it, and Jason might drool, which would be fun to see. Chloe was taking in the fit of the top when she stopped and leaned forward a bit. Having dressed her friend in formal attire she knew the nurse's body well. And Liz looked different. Not a lot different, but enough to be noticed.

In the mirror Liz watched Chloe's eyes narrow. Her friend was just too observant. "Almost two months." She said smirking.

"Oh my god!" Chloe said moving to the edge of the bed. "Seriously?!"

"Two months." Skye said confused before she got. "You're pregnant?!"

"Now this all makes more sense." Chloe said waddling over to give her friend a hug. "I was thinking this whole kidnapping came out of the blue, but clearly you and Jason have been spending private time together."

"Congrats!" Skye said getting up so she could be included in the hugging. "So he brought you here to convince you to marry him?" She was guessing.

"Which means he did something stupid, because there is no way you would normally turn him down. Especially since you told us that was what you wanted." Chloe filled in more of the blanks. "Wait does Johnny know about the baby?"

"No one but my family, and Jason knows. Kelly too." Liz amended her statement to include her doctor. "I tried to tell Jason when I found out but he didn't return my calls. When he came back to Port Charles he seemed to have time for everyone but me."

"Ouch." Skye said surprised to hear that. "Is he at least happy about the baby?" She wanted to know.

"I told him the night of the hostage crisis, we haven't talked about it since. He did propose though." Liz said placing her hands on her hips.

"Typical." Skye said rolling her eyes.

"Ass." Was Chloe's contribution because she wasn't as polite as Skye. "Doesn't call you back and then thinks a marriage offer makes it all better. It wasn't even about you, it was about him thinking that's what you wanted for the baby. Johnny's gonna be pissed I found out first."

"I know. He wouldn't have kidnapped me if he knew." Liz said laughing. "So Jason will be in good standing with me, in time to be in the doghouse with Johnny."

"So do you plan on accepting his proposal soon?" Skye would love that. Then they would be family legally.

"I will accept when the proposal is about me." Liz said smiling wide. "We just need to get a few things cleared up still. If the night goes well by the time the date is over that will happen." He had a choice to make, Liz was finally putting her foot down. "I suspect that I'll be his wife before I leave the island. Which would make me happy, because I do deserve the best." She told her friends.

"Yes, you do." Skye would need to get a nice dress if there was going to be a wedding.

"We all deserve the best, and despite the occasional moment of stupidity from our men we have it." Chloe said hugging her friend again. "Congrats, all the way around."

"Thanks." Liz said to her friends. "Come on, it's time for me to go break Jason." She was really feeling her power tonight.

* * *

"So big date night." Johnny said grinning at his friend. "Do you need me to give you the birds and bees talk?"

"You are lucky the kids are in the room." Jason shot a glare at his friend, who was deliberately being an ass.

Johnny just gave Jason his trademark grin.

"Leave him be Johnny." Francis said handing his daughter another block. The kids were building a tower. "Can't you see he's nervous?" Which was true, Jason was fidgeting.

"I don't see why." Johnny said pushing more buttons. "This one date is probably going to set the course of Jason's entire life. I mean that's not anything to get a case of nerves over."

"Just don't propose." Francis said giving his friend some advice. "That is not what the situation calls for. A wedding ring is not a fix for a problem."

Jason winced.

"Oh tell me you didn't. Is that why we are here? Because you screwed up and then proposed. What the heck did you do anyway?" Johnny finally got around to asking why the kidnapping was necessary.

"No comment." Jason just muttered.

"You didn't ask him why he set all this in motion before you agreed to help?" Francis asked shaking his head. "Classic. The two of you need a watcher."

"You want the job?" Jason said getting them off his screw up.

"No." Francis said leaning back in his chair. "I'm not coming back." He meant into the business.

"You don't have to work with us to keep us from doing stupid stuff." Johnny pointed out. He would love to have his friend close. "You will have more time to babysit us if you aren't working."

"I think we are supposed to be focused on Jason." Francis said getting them back on topic. "Do you have a plan for tonight?"

"No." Jason looked at his friends. "Elizabeth does." He could tell that from the fact that she had this date set up. "So I'm going to wait and find out what it is. Once I know what it is I'll give her whatever she wants. After that we can go from there."

Francis and Johnny just looked at one another. There was hope for Jason yet. When it was clear your lady wanted to hold the reins a smart man sat back and enjoyed the ride.

"Here they come." Johnny said as he and Francis stood up.

The ladies walked in the room and Jason's eyes got wide when he saw what Elizabeth was wearing. In their long, and complicated, relationship there was one other time she had worn leather. It was the night at Jake's, the night they really began. Hopefully her wearing leather tonight meant that this could be the first night of his second chance.

"Ready?" Elizabeth asked like she hadn't just rendered Jason mute.

"I'm not sure." Jason said honestly.

Elizabeth gave him a bright smile. "Come here baby." Cameron got up and ran to his mom. "Be good for your aunts and uncles okay."

Cameron nodded, before going back to playing.

"See everyone tomorrow. Come on Jason." Liz said before walking out of the room.

"Night Jason." Johnny said being a smartass. Chloe elbowed him, but that didn't diminish the moment any.

Jason followed Elizabeth out of the house. Not actually trying to catch up with her. He was enjoying watching her hips in that skirt too much to want to walk beside her. When they got to the location she had picked would be soon enough. At the car he opened her door, on the driver's side, before walking around the car and getting into the passenger's seat.

With a smirk Liz started the car and headed to their destination.

* * *

"There's a dive bar on my grandmother's island." Jason said laughing. The night was just filled with surprises.

"Literally. This is where most of the charter boat captains, and scuba diving instructors hang out." Liz said parking the car. "Most importantly they have pool tables, and I reserved one for us."

"Sounds like a promising night." Jason said turning on the charm. He was rusty with his flirting, but he planned on giving it his best shot. "Shall we?"

Elizabeth nodded, she waited for Jason to open her door before getting out of the car. "Dinner first." She told him as they walked inside. While on the outside the paint job was distressed from the salt water, inside the bar was brightly lit and clean. Jake's it wasn't, but they would make do. "Morgan, party of 2."

"Right this way." The hostess led them to a table with a view.

The waitress took their order and quickly returned with their drinks. A beer for Jason and a ginger ale for Liz. "To us." She said making a toast.

"To us." Jason tapped his glass to hers.

"So Jason, what is that going to look like? Us." Elizabeth wanted to know her blue eyes on his. "Tell me why I should marry you?"

"I love you." Jason responded covering her hand with his.

Liz turned her hand over and linked their fingers. "I know that. I love you, which is something you know. I'm also in love you, I think I've been in love with you in some form or another since you walked out of my studio after getting shot. Even when I didn't like you, I still loved you. If love was enough we would already be married and Cameron would be your son." She explained.

"Cameron is my son. I dare anyone to say otherwise." Jason told her. He wasn't saying that to impress her something she would already know.

That made her smile because she knew Jason loved Cameron.

"I'm sorry, that I didn't make the time to sit down and talk with you. I should have at the very least let you know that I did want to talk, but I wanted to do it face to face. I've gotten used to us communicating without words. You always seem to know what's on my mind or how I'm feeling. I was wrong not to call you. We had sex, and I just dropped off the face of the earth. I had some last minute issues to clear up, I wanted certain people gone before I came home. After the night we shared I realized I wanted more from you. That I wanted us together. This summer was amazing." Jason said quietly. With her divorced from Lucky, and him not with Sam they had really reconnected. "The picnic in the park with Cameron had me smiling for days."

"I enjoyed that too." Liz had invited him out to spend the day with them, and fixed a picnic lunch. Jason had ended up pushing Cameron on the swings until the little boy fell asleep, and the two adults used that quiet time to have a really good conversation.

"Then the blackout happened, and for one glorious night I had you in my life as my lover." Jason looked up at her. "The next morning when you left I was already making plans. Trying to figure out how to make that work."

"I have to admit that leaving your penthouse was hard. I was hoping that you stopped me. Now sitting here I realize I should have simply told you that I didn't want to leave." She had picked up Cameron and gone home. Then began the waiting game to see if he was going to call her or come see her. Once again she had taken a passive role in her own life, something that needed to stop. "You don't have to plan our future alone Jason. In fact it's best if you don't."

He nodded his understanding as he chewed. He was so used to taking care of everyone that he didn't stop to include her in the decision making. "You're right, we need to be making decisions together. Especially ones that concern our family. I want to be there for both kids."

"I want that too. I want you to be the man they call dad." Elizabeth said putting down her fork. "Again we don't have to be married for that."

He took a deep breath before speaking again. "I want to be there for you too. Not just as your friend, or your more than friend. But as the man in your life, as your husband. We are closer than ever to getting what we've both dreamed of. What needs to happen for you to see that I'm not blowing smoke? That we won't be back here in this same position in three years. That you won't have to doubt you are first in my life." He was laying it all out there, something he should have done before now.

"There have been five major obstacles to us being together over the course of our history. Two of them are sitting at this table. We keep screwing it up, so we need to do better." She started there. Taking as much blame as she was placing on him. "The other three are Sonny, Lucky, and Carly. Lucky is gone. Even if he was still alive I would not be letting him back in my life. Sonny is now gone too." She squeezed Jason's hand because she knew losing his friend like that had to hurt.

"Carly is still around, and because she is I need you to choose. It's petty and small minded, and honestly not something I ever thought I would say. I tried to be the bigger person and I always lost. We cannot both be in your life, I will not be the other woman in my own marriage. Her or me." Elizabeth laid out the only thing she truly needed him to do for her to know she was first. To know that this time would be different. "That doesn't include Michael and Morgan." She wanted that clear.

"I'm not spending much time with the boys these days. It's just better for them. Jax is a better role model for them than I am." Jason admitted. "I think if Carly had been more grown up as she was raising the boys then who I am and what I do wouldn't be a factor."

"Jason." Liz waited for him to look at her. "What you do isn't who you are. You're a good man, and you'll be a good role model. Michael and Morgan had the odds stacked against them from the start with Sonny and Carly as parents. I'm not mother of the year, but I can point to them and say I'm doing better." It sounded egotistical, but it was completely true. They were both too selfish to put their kids first.

"I choose you." Jason gave her the words because she needed to hear them. "I haven't taken any of Carly's calls since the night at the Metro Court. I don't intend to take anymore." Jason got that by making this choice he was cutting Carly out of his life. If she respected boundaries Elizabeth wouldn't have needed to make this request, but Carly didn't. It was all or nothing with her. So she had to go.

"Thank you. What do you need from me?" Elizabeth asked sipping her soda. She believed that he meant what he had just said.

"Nothing." Jason said smiling.

"I'm not perfect. There must be something you need?" Elizabeth told him.

"What I need is a second chance, and unless I'm mistaken I'm about to get it." Jason let her see the hope in his eyes.

"I think we are both getting a second chance. It's up to us to see that we don't waste it." Elizabeth let him know. They would need to talk more, and there would times that their relationship was tested, but they had made a good start tonight. "Jason?"

"Yeah?" He saw his whole future when he looked at her.

"Ask me again." Elizabeth said smiling. He would know what she meant.

"Want me to get down on one knee?" He teased.

"No, ask me while my fingers are entwined with yours." Elizabeth replied softly.

"I love you Elizabeth Imogene Webber. Will you marry me?" He requested softly.

"Yes." She said lifting their joined hands and kissing his knuckle.

"Before we return home, and then again one year from now." Jason told her what he wanted.

"I like the sound of that." They would have a bigger ceremony with friends and family after the baby was born.

Jason leaned over and kissed her. "We can start planning our island wedding tomorrow. I will call Diane and ask her to fax me the appropriate paperwork."

"I already have a dress." Elizabeth told him. It wasn't your traditional wedding gown, but it would be perfect for them and the location.

"I'll get a suit." He said before kissing her again. Hopefully before the week was out they would be married. "Will you stay in my room tonight?"

"I thought you'd never ask." Liz said with a wicked grin. "Let's go shoot some pool."

"Perfect way to start the celebration." Jason said standing up and pulling back her chair.

* * *

Thanks for the reviews!


	11. Chapter 11

ABC/DISNEY owns GH. No copyright infringement is intended.

Not Safe For Work

* * *

Chapter 11

The house was quiet when they walked in, their first stop was their son's room. Cameron was sleeping soundly and Liz took a moment to cover him with the light blanket. He had a habit of kicking the covers off which was why he slept in footed pajamas.

"I'm going to grab a shower and some clean clothes. I'll meet you in your room." Elizabeth said at the door to her private space.

"Okay. Take your time." Jason said before leaning forward and gently kissing her. He would get clean as well.

"I won't be long." Liz let him know before going into her room.

Jason walked down the silent corridor to his room. Francis, Skye, and Lila Rae were on the other side of the house, and with the O'Briens and Milo downstairs they all had privacy. In his room Jason stripped down and stepped into the shower. After getting clean he brushed his teeth, and ran a hand over his jaw. He shaved before the date, and his skin was still pretty smooth so he would skip that step. In the bedroom he walked into the large closet, grabbing sleep pants before walking over to the wall safe. He pressed in the combination, Cameron's birthday, and removed a small box. He was stepping into the main part of his room when a soft knock sounded. "Come in."

"I'll put my things away." Elizabeth told him feeling the tiniest bit shy. They had only slept together one night so this was still a new thing. A wonderful thing, and she was looking to a lot of nights in Jason's arms. Her clothes were put on a shelf in the closet and her personal items were stored in the bathroom. The lights were dimmed some when she walked to where Jason was standing.

"Have a seat." He pointed to the overstuffed arm chair in the sitting area of the room.

Elizabeth did as requested and when he went down on one knee she smiled. He held up the velvet box and she looked at him surprised. "When did you go shopping? Your first day here?"

"I only arrived on the island a few hours before you did." Jason let her know. "So I didn't have time to shop. I got this last month, while I was out of town. I was walking down the street when I saw this ring in a display. I don't browse or window shop. In fact I generally don't look in store windows at all, and I have no idea why I looked this time. But I did, and I knew this ring was meant to be yours. Did I mention the window was to an auction house?" He said rambling a bit.

"So it's an older ring?" Elizabeth liked the thought of that.

"From an estate sale. The couple was married for sixty years. She died and few weeks later he did as well. Their son said his father couldn't bear to be without his heart." Jason had wanted some history of the piece. "I put in a bid, two days later I got a call to come get the ring."

"May I see it?" Elizabeth asked because the box was still closed. Jason lifted the lid and she gasped. "It's beautiful." An oval cushion cut deep red ruby was set in a four claw setting that was flanked on either side by a tapered baguette cut diamond on a platinum band.

"Does it remind you of anything?" Jason asked with a boyish grin.

"The glass you gave me. I still have it." Elizabeth confessed.

"I'd like to have that piece of glass cut and made into a piece of jewelry for you. Something we can pass down to one of our children." Jason let her know.

"I'd like that." Elizabeth was impatient to have that ring on her finger.

"May I put it on you?" Jason wanted to see how it looked on her hand.

"Yes, please." She said holding out her hand. It was a perfect fit.

He brought her hand to his lips and kissed above where his ring rested. Looking up her blue eyes sparkled with happiness. He also noted the dark smudges marring the skin under those eyes. She wasn't sleeping well. "Are you tired?"

"I'm pregnant, its part of the territory. I'm not too tired." She said blushing a bit.

He frowned at answer. "Have you been having nightmares?" That should have occurred to him before now. "About the hostage crisis?"

"Some." Elizabeth admitted. "It's normal with something like that. They will pass." She, or the baby, hadn't been hurt so the bad dreams would let go pretty quickly.

"Come to bed. Let me hold you, will you rest? We can make love in the morning." He felt the need to care for her. "Or will you be sick?"

"I haven't had any morning sickness at all, just nausea." Elizabeth said easing that worry. "I will sleep some, but as a reward I get to have you when I wake up."

"It will be the best way to start the day." He scooped her up as he stood and carried her over to the bed. Carefully he put her down before lying next to her. She cuddled close and he covered them both with a blanket. This was one of the best feelings he'd ever known. "Night baby."

"Night." Liz said letting her eyes slip shut. She was going to sleep well tonight. The last thing she saw was the ring on her finger. Perfect way to end the night.

* * *

Jason went from a deep sleep to wide awake, and when he opened his eyes Elizabeth was watching him. "Morning."

"That's really annoying, you know that right?" She asked laughing.

"Yeah." Jason grinned back. From the one previous night they had shared he knew that waking up for his fiancée was a gradual process. One that took about thirty minutes, and involved hitting the snooze button twice. "I will take the early feedings."

"I will be getting a pump because I plan on breastfeeding like I did with Cameron." Elizabeth said cuddling close.

"How will that work with the baby in daycare?" Jason wasn't too sure he was comfortable with the kids in such a public space.

"I try to time my breaks with the feeding schedule, but I also leave bottles of breast milk in case I can't. We can talk about a nanny if you like." Liz wasn't going to argue. Safety needed to be a factor from here on out. "Cameron isn't ready for preschool yet, and with two young children help would be nice."

"Johnny and Chloe are getting a nanny, I'll ask him which agency they are using." Jason knew it would have been thoroughly looked into.

"Okay." Elizabeth said smiling. "I believe that I was promised a treat for resting." She was tired of waiting.

"I recall mentioning that." Jason said laughing. She had slept quietly for most of the night, only having one bad dream. Elizabeth hadn't even woken up just tossed and turned a bit. His hand slid down her back until he was able to cup her bottom. He gave the firm flesh a gentle massage and Elizabeth shivered against him.

"Don't tease." Liz told him letting her hands do some roaming as well.

"It's been almost two months, I need to get reacquainted with your body." Jason had done a very good job of finding all the spots on her body that made her melt their first time together.

"I know exactly how long it's been." Elizabeth assured him. "I also know that my former room didn't have a removable shower head and getting kidnapped means I don't have my vibrator." She was in need of some relief.

That made Jason's hand stop moving. "Vibrator?" That sounded promising.

"I have a lot of hormones in my system Jason. No morning sickness means that my sex drive ramped up early. I will hurt you if you hold out on me." She told him completely serious.

"You're hot when you get demanding." Jason said on a growl. "I want this to be good for you."

"It will be." She promised. "Slow later, now the pregnant woman wants some fireworks."

"I have to give the pregnant woman what she wants." Jason said dipping his head and kissing her. The short nightshirt she was sleeping in gave him easy access to her body something he really liked. Her panties were removed and she placed her leg over his hip opening herself to him. His fingers moved to her center and he groaned. "You are so wet."

"Hurry Jason." Liz said pushing down his sleep pants. The man was seriously driving her blood pressure up. She had no idea she could be this greedy.

He kicked his bottoms the rest of the way off before rolling them so she was underneath his bigger body. "I won't hurt you will I?"

She had to smile at that. "No, its fine for now. When my tummy gets bigger we will need to get a bit more inventive."

"Inventive sounds fun." Jason said laughing as he pushed forward joining their bodies. As he watched Elizabeth bit her bottom lip and moaned long and low. Three strokes in she came the first time and he had to count back from one hundred to keep from joining her.

"Again." She said moving her hips in time to his. That felt incredible. Sex with Jason was better than any she had ever experienced. The emotional connection they shared made her finally understand what the words making love truly meant.

"Yeah, again." He said moving harder inside her.

"Yes!" Elizabeth cried out shattering once more. She opened her eyes and watched as Jason finally gave in and his release moved through him. He slumped beside her and she turned into his body as his arms came around her. "It won't always be that fast." She was going to make sure his needs were met too.

"Honestly, I was amazed I lasted that long." He said a bit sheepishly. "I've never been with a woman without latex. I wasn't expecting it to feel so different. I almost came the first time you did. I will need to build up my stamina." Their baby was conceived due to faulty condoms.

"Practice, practice, practice." She said on a soft sigh.

"That is how you get better." Jason said pulling her closer. "Let me know when and where." When she didn't answer he looked down and saw she was asleep. With a grin he covered them up. They had time to sleep some more before breakfast was served.

* * *

"Paul." Cody was in the office behind the coffee shop. This was Jason's space, while he normally worked out of the warehouse. With his boss, and Johnny, out of town Cody wanted to be somewhere folks could find him. O'Brien's office behind the restaurant wasn't happening, it was just too loud. He had no idea how Johnny was able to concentrate.

"Hello sunshine." Lila said grinning. "I called to let you know I put my plan into action this morning."

"Already?" Cody said laughing. "You must be where Jason gets his decisiveness from." Rarely did his boss take long to put a plan into motion.

"Apple and tree." Lila was in her home office. Like her grandson she tended to start her days early, since she didn't need much sleep.

"So will there be explosions, or a gun fight? Because I'm getting kind of bored." Cody said being cheeky.

"Nope. Just a good old fashioned catfight." Lila told the enforcer. "I fully expect Carly to show up at some point, looking worse for the wear, to demand that you do something about Claudia."

"May I ask what you did?" Cody was enjoying this way more than he probably should be.

"Claudia was staying at The Port Charles Hotel, which as you know I own. I created a leak in her room, and with the rest of the rooms being occupied I had my manager book her a suite in The Metro Court, on me of course, which luckily reopened this morning." Lila explained. The damage to the lobby was superficial and could be worked on while the hotel was entertaining guests. At the moment most of the rooms were empty, and all the suites were. So there shouldn't be too many witnesses to Carly and Claudia's altercation. Possibly just the staff, and owning a hotel Lila knew that staff members like to gossip. When Claudia disappeared the housekeepers would have something to share with the police. If they were involved, but it would be best if they weren't.

"That's freaking brilliant. There is no way Carly is going to tolerate Claudia staying there." Cody was clearly in the presence of a master. "I'm going to lose our bet."

"Yes, you are." Lila said laughing. "With age comes wisdom."

"The Jacks men are leaving Port Charles for Sydney this morning. The whole family was supposed to go, annual vacation, but Carly can't leave with both the Kate issue and Claudia. According to my sources Jax is less than pleased with his wife at the moment." Cody passed along.

"Jax should have never married her." Lila said exasperated. "He has a sharp business mind, but can't pick a good woman to save his life. That's fine, with them gone I don't have to worry about Carly doing something stupid in front of her kids." Lila still missed Michael, but the little boy had no idea they were even related now.

"I will keep you posted." Cody wondered just how long it would take for Mount Carly to blow, and how bad the damage was going to be. They would be able to work with anything she did, he just hoped it happened early. He wanted to take Kelly out to the movies tonight.

"I look forward to your call." Lila said hanging up, she had other business to tend to.

* * *

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	12. Chapter 12

ABC/DISNEY owns GH. No copyright infringement is intended.

* * *

Chapter 12

Nikolas arrived on Cassadine Island and the first thing he did when he got into the back of the limo was check his messages. He had hoped that some information would come in during the flight. It was a quick hop from here to any place in Italy. So far he had zip. No one had seen Ric or Liz, and no one knew what happen with Trevor.

"Mr. Cassadine." Andre said holding the door open.

"I may have a job for you." Nikolas told his grandmother's manservant. After Helena died Nik hired the tall blonde to keep an eye on the island. Trips here were rare for the Cassadine heir, and he wanted to make sure Stavros didn't thaw out. The last thing he needed was his nutcase of a father running around.

"Of course." Andre would do whatever was needed. Helena had left him a letter saying at some point her grandson would come into his own as a Cassadine, and that she wanted Andre to offer any assistance he could. The henchman didn't believe that was going to happen, Nikolas wasn't as cold as the rest of the family.

"First off find someone to keep an eye on things here. Then pack, I need you to come with me when I leave the island." Nikolas instructed. The henchman had skills that were going to come in handy. Getting rid of bodies was not something the Russian prince was skilled at. Ric's time was up because after giving it some thought Nik didn't see any scenario where Liz willingly left Port Charles with Lansing.

"I will take care of that right away." Andre said moving off. He already had someone he could call, just in case it was necessary. Helena didn't like to wait for things and Andre figured Nikolas would be the same.

Alone in the parlor Nik poured himself a drink and took it with him as he went upstairs. His destination was the tower room in the east wing of the house. The door was opened and when he stepped inside he saw that the furnished space was spotless. This had been his room growing up, and just stepping into the interior had memories flooding back. Stefan had raised him and it was the happiest time of his life. Had he known what drama Port Charles was going to bring into his life, he would not have agreed to move there. There were items in this room Nikolas wanted his son to have, some family heirlooms. He would tell the housekeeper to pack them up, because he never expected to come back here again.

* * *

"That ring is incredibly stunning." Skye said smiling and she looked at the ruby again.

"I like that it's simple." Chloe thought it well suited to her friend. "And the right size for your hand." That simplicity didn't fool the designer for a bit, she knew that the ring her friend was sporting was more expensive than it seemed. Pigeon's blood rubies weren't exactly common. "So what were you thinking? For a ceremony?"

"We want to do something small here on the island. I'm going to wear one of the dresses I picked up yesterday. What I will need your help with is the vow renewal we are having next year." Elizabeth started explaining what she and Jason had worked out. "I want to wear one of your gowns." Liz told Chloe. "Can you design the entire party?"

"Of course." Chloe wouldn't have it any other way. She would start getting ready now for the fight that would happen when she told Liz that all the gowns were gifts. "Do you know what you want, or should I put together a few sketches?"

"Let's start with a few sketches, and work from there." Liz had no intention of being a diva, and she was guessing that Chloe was going to come up with something amazing.

"I'll get the creative juices flowing." Chloe said looking at her friend.

"Please, you already have something in mind." Skye said sipping her juice before wiping Lila Rae's cheek. "I know how quick you are." Chloe had designed her gown.

"I do indeed have a general outline in my head. I just need to flush it out. That can wait. Skye, you and I will need to go shopping again." Chloe pointed out.

"For nice wedding dresses. After the ceremony we should have lunch, or dinner at the resort." Skye suggested.

"That will be wonderful." Liz agreed nodding.

"So what exactly are the menfolk doing?" Chloe was worried about all the silence from inside the house. That generally meant her hubby was up to no good.

"Talking to Diane. There are things we need to do so that we can get married here." Liz said getting up and pouring Cameron more milk. She pointed to the jug and Skye shook her head no indicating Lila Rae was fine. "Since you ladies need dresses I will go into town too. I need to pick up Jason's wedding band." He offered to get it when he picked up hers, but she declined.

"Are you going to be working at the hospital when you go back?" Skye wanted to know.

"I'm going to serve notice when we return." Liz had thought about this off and on all night. This wasn't something she had told Jason just yet. This morning after waking up from her nap she decided she didn't want a nanny raising her children. She wanted to do that, and as Jason's wife she had that option.

"When you are ready I'd like to talk to you about a job opportunity. Something that you can do part time." Chloe thought her friend was too talented not to pursue her art. She was going to be a little pushy and make a suggestion, and if Liz agreed then Chloe would use some industry contacts to send work her way.

"That sounds intriguing." Liz wondered if they were about to cause trouble. "I will do that."

"Great." Chloe said smiling. "Now I need to go to the bathroom again." She said getting to her feet while her friends laughed.

"So what were you thinking of doing with your hair?" Skye wanted to know.

* * *

"I thought we agreed that you weren't going to propose?" Francis asked looking at his friend. He didn't think he'd ever seen Jason this happy before. Johnny had made breakfast for the ladies and kids. After their morning meal the guys grabbed coffee and came into the office.

"Elizabeth indicated that I should ask her to marry me last night." Jason said grinning. He was about to call Diane. His lawyer arrived at her office the same time every morning. That time would be in a few minutes. "So I did, because I was in enough trouble. Ignoring that request wasn't going to happen."

"You are smarter than you look." Johnny saluted his friend with his coffee mug. "So a wedding here, and then one back home." Jason had explained the plan. "That's good. Lila will want to see the two of you exchange vows."

"Getting married here also keeps those who would surely object at bay." Francis pointed out. Carly would find a way to crash a ceremony back home.

"I was thinking that maybe I should head home early." Johnny told Jason. "While Ric is contained, Claudia is not. I don't see her just letting Liz have you."

"I spoke to Cody before coming downstairs. He said my grandmother had the situation under control. I think I may lose him to her." Jason said chuckling. "He sounded a bit awestruck."

"Lila has the power. I'm telling you that woman is dangerous." Johnny said with a devilish grin. "She has promised to teach me all her secrets."

"You still won't be as badass as she is." Jason said with smirk as he called Port Charles.

Johnny just nodded knowing that was true.

"Diane Miller." The attorney answered.

"Diane its Jason." He knew she wouldn't recognize the number.

"Hello there. I was worried about your vanishing act, but Cody assured me that you were fine." Diane wasn't used to Jason just going poof. "May I ask where you are?" Max didn't know, or said he didn't.

"I am on an island near the Cat Cays." Jason told her. "I hope to marry Elizabeth before I return home, so I need you to file some paperwork."

"Ah, one of the other notable absences. Rumor has it that Nurse Webber left with Ric Lansing. I refused to believe that because Liz is much smarter than that." Diane said opening a computer file. She had no idea what was required for citizens to marry abroad. Scanning the page from her law journals she saw it wouldn't be that hard, because Jason had picked a country Americans often married in. "Okay, I should have permission for the ceremony to take place in about forty-eight hours. After you get married fax me a copy of the license so that I can file it making the marriage legal here. That will take roughly twenty-four more hours. So in four days you can return home and I can gush over the no doubt stunning ring you put on your future wife's finger. As you attorney I am required to ask about a prenup."

"Not necessary." Jason told Diane.

"If you divorce I'm representing her, and taking you for every penny I can get. Since I'm a fantastic attorney prepare to be broke. So I advise you to simply stay married." Diane said smiling. She was totally serious and Jason would know that.

"Understood." Jason had no doubt Diane would keep her word. "Anything else?"

"Bring me a souvenir. Have Liz pick it out, you have horrible taste in curios." Diane told her client. "If that's everything I need to see what else the gossip mill got wrong. Because it was totally right about Claudia coming here."

"She won't be an issue." Jason knew that was Diane's roundabout way of asking about the Italian brunette. Jason should check in with John to make sure his sister wasn't making him miserable. Zacchara had moved to get away from the drama, so Claudia would be the last person he wanted to see.

"Good to know. I think Liz could totally take her in a fight." Diane said laughing. "I need to go work and bill you for it."

"I will check in when I return." Jason said shaking his head as he hung up. He immediately called John.

"What?" John said barely awake. He had a late night at the club. Not out partying but playing. He owned Luke's former blues club and three nights a week he was the featured musical act.

"Sorry to wake you." Jason started the conversation. "I wanted to check in."

"Are you going to make my sister leave before my girlfriend ends up in jail?" John asked sitting up. He loved Claudia, but he didn't like her, so he was solidly in his girlfriend's corner on this matter. He really was afraid Georgie was going to snap. His sister couldn't cost him the best thing in his life.

"I'm not in Port Charles." Jason was surprised more people didn't know that.

"Oh. That's probably for the best. Claudia thinks she is going to marry you. I told her it wasn't going to happen." John was contemplating coffee. He wasn't playing tonight and could turn in early. Hopefully with his girlfriend curled up with him. She was sexy when she read law books in bed.

"John, if Claudia doesn't leave I can't guarantee this is going to turn out well." Jason didn't want to hurt the younger man.

"I am aware of that." John said quietly. For years he had thought his sister was on a path of self-destruction. She might just get her wish if she didn't back off of this marriage plan. Jason had never expressed any romantic interest in Claudia, in fact it was well known he couldn't stand her. John knew his sister was playing with fire. "I can try talking to her again."

"I would appreciate that." Jason hoped John could get through to his sister, but he wasn't counting on it. The only good thing was that Claudia didn't keep in close contact with John, so if she had to disappear it would probably be a while before that became apparent.

"I'll go see her today." John said getting out of bed. Georgie had a break between classes during the morning. After he talked with his sister he would call and see if his girl wanted to grab some coffee.

"Thanks." Jason said ready to end the call.

"No problem." John hung up and headed for the shower.

"I want to see what the ladies are up to, and then I need to call my grandmother." Jason said getting up from the desk.

"I'm guessing more shopping, and wedding planning." Francis got up too. "Congrats. You are so marrying up."

"Yeah, what ugly said." Johnny slapped Jason on the back. "Don't screw it up or you'll end up in the Pine Barrens." He was only half joking.

"I feel so loved." Jason said wiping away a fake tear before walking out of the office and down to the kitchen.

* * *

The ladies left and the guys were once again on kid detail. Jason was looking forward to more time with Cameron. They were going to a petting zoo on the resort property after this call was made. "Good morning."

"Someone is chipper. Does this mean you have been forgiven?" Lila wanted to know. She didn't think it would take long. Just the fact that Jason went through the trouble to plan all this would soften Elizabeth's heart.

"I have been, because my girl is forgiving." Jason remarked smiling. Not just with him Elizabeth found a way to move past anger with most people. Only Ric and Lucky never got pardons. "I called to share news."

"Is that correct?" Lila could guess and she was thrilled.

"Elizabeth and I are getting married. Hopefully in a few days. Then we'd like to have a bigger ceremony next year." Jason told his grandmother.

"Have the ceremony recorded." Lila requested. "I'd like to see it."

"That's a great idea." Jason would get a photographer. "I'm going to start adoption paperwork for Cameron when we return home." He hadn't mentioned that to Diane, but Jason was guessing she would have the paperwork ready to sign when they got to Port Charles.

"Wonderful. He will be a welcome addition to the family. Will you wait for me to call before you return? If possible." Lila hoped to have the Claudia/Carly situation finished quickly. It just depended how stubborn Carly was going to be over Sonny. The fact that Claudia was a guest at the Metro Court would be discovered no later than tomorrow, even if Lila had to make the call herself.

"Diane requested we wait at least a day after we are wed to return. So I won't be home for another four days at the earliest. Possibly longer if there is a hold up with the paperwork." Jason passed along.

"That should be fine." Lila could work with that. "Is my future granddaughter there?" She would love to talk with Liz.

"Not at the moment." Jason said smiling. "I can have her call you later."

"Don't bother her, I'm sure she has many details to attend to. Just bring her to see me when you return home." Lila requested.

"You will be our first stop." Jason promised.

"Good." Lila thought her idea had worked out well. "Be happy my darling."

"I will. We will." Jason had no doubt of that. He ended the call, now it was time for some fun with his little boy.

* * *

Thanks for the reviews!


	13. Chapter 13

ABC/DISNEY owns GH. No copyright infringement is intended.

* * *

Chapter 13

Dante knocked on the door of the hospital room and waited for Emily to look in his direction. "Hi."

"Hi." Emily stood up and stretched. "He just fell asleep." She said quietly walking over to the where the detective was standing. Since his badge was on display on his belt she was guessing this was an official visit. They stepped into the hall so that they didn't wake her dad.

"I got hung up leaving the station." Dante said looking the tall brunette over. He had called to ask if he could come talk to Alan. Emily looked tired, but not as tired as earlier in the week. "How's your dad doing?"

"He's stable." Emily said smiling. "He's got a ways to go still, but he's out of immediate danger." Her dad was facing a lifestyle change. Leo recommended that the first thing to happen was Alan retiring as Chief of Staff it was time to start reducing his stress levels.

"Good." Dante was happy to hear that.

"Any change on Sonny?" Emily knew that the situation was bleak, but as a doctor she never gave up hope.

"No. He was transferred to a long term facility this morning. About an hour ago." Dante had declined to come see Sonny off. Kate had the situation under control. "They will take good care of him. I just need to ask your father a few routine questions about the hostage crisis, will you call me when he wakes up?" Hopefully answering them wouldn't be too stressful.

"Sure, I'll tell my mom too." Emily was only here for the day shift. On Monday she was going back to work, and was looking forward to having her normal returned.

"Thanks." Dante said and was preparing to leave when without warning Emily pushed him into her father's room.

"Get in the bathroom." She said still pushing him. "Hurry up." From her position in the hall she could see the nurse's station reflected in the window of the room next to her dad's. Carly was heading this way, and there was no other reason for her to be here except Dante. It was all over the hospital that the rabid blonde was pissed at not having any say in Sonny's care.

"Emily?" Dante asked confused.

"Trust me." The young doctor said giving him a final push and shutting the door just as the door to her father's room opened.

"A closed door means knock first." Emily said in an icy tone.

"The nurse said Dante was here. I need to talk to him about Sonny." Carly was pissed. She had kissed both her boys this morning and waved while they got on the plane. Her send-off with Jax wasn't as warm. In fact it was downright frigid. His parting words were that when he got back home if she wasn't ready to put him and their marriage ahead of the mobsters then they were over. While she didn't want to lose her husband, she wasn't giving up Sonny or Jason either.

Then when she got to the hospital she learned that Sonny had already been transferred. That bitch Kate wasn't anywhere to be found, so Carly needed to talk to Dante. She was going to make him bring his father back, and then she was going to get his power of attorney. There was no way he should be making these types of decisions.

"He left." Emily lied, hoping Dante stayed in the bathroom. "Is that all?"

"Do you know where your brother is? I keep calling him and he isn't picking up." Carly didn't have time for that either.

"Did you try pinging his microchip?" Emily asked sarcastically. She was waiting for the day Jason shook Carly loose.

"Very funny." Carly didn't like Emily and the feeling was mutual.

"My father needs to rest, so get out." Emily said not even pretending to be polite.

Carly turned on her heel and left, she didn't have time to deal with the princess. They rarely crossed paths so she wasn't wasting time on Emily.

Walking over she opened the door. "The coast is clear now. Sorry I didn't have time to explain."

"It's okay. Thanks." Dante said grinning. "How did you know she was coming?"

"Reflection in the glass down the hall." Emily said grinning. "I'm guessing that was about Sonny."

"More than likely." Dante figured he couldn't avoid Carly forever, but he was going to try. "I owe you one."

"Could you find a way to shoot Carly?" Emily asked completely serious.

"Probably not." Dante said laughing quietly.

"How about dinner sometime?" Emily suggested. The timing might seem odd, but Dante wasn't grieving. Sonny or Lulu. Emily had been single for a while and it would be nice to get out of the house to go somewhere other than work. And Dante was hot, so why not?

"I like the sound of that. I'm really busy at the moment, but maybe next week?" Dante figured the initial phase of the investigation should be done by then.

"Let me see what my schedule looks like." Em's schedule was probably going to be opening up. Last night she had come to a decision.

"There are other meals in the day besides dinner." Dante said flirting, he would like this date to happen.

"There are. I will keep that in mind." Emily smiled at him.

"I do need to go. To work." Dante handed her his business card, his cell phone number was on it. "Leave me a message if I don't answer."

"I can do that." Emily walked him to the door and shut it when he left. Leaning against it she grinned. Things really were looking up.

* * *

Elizabeth gave herself a look in the mirror and grinned. They were getting into the pool after a morning of shopping. Once the time in the water was done they would have lunch and then it would be nap time for the kids. And for some of the adults too. Liz wouldn't mind a rest, especially if Jason joined her.

The suit she was wearing was picked up on day one of shopping. The second she saw it Liz wanted it. Chloe had suggested something that showed more skin, since they were still in the make Jason suffer mindset. Liz knew that what she was wearing now would have a lot more impact than the two pieces of dental floss the designer was holding up.

The pink and white polka dot vintage inspired bikini wasn't as flashy as more modern suits. That was fine. This suit had high waisted shorts instead of briefs as the bottom and that was what would make her fiance break out in a sweat. Jason was an ass man, to put it bluntly. These shorts framed hers to perfection. The swimwear also showed off her curves. Her body was already changing with the new baby and looking at her curvier figure she really did feel sexy in this outfit. Now it was time to go downstairs and knock her guy off his feet.

* * *

"What are you guys doing tonight?" Jason asked Francis.

"Dinner and dancing." Francis was looking forward to the evening out. He and his wife generally had a date night once every two weeks. It was practice he was going to make sure they kept up if they returned to New York. Lila Rae was going to spend the night here with the gang. "There is a great seafood restaurant on the resort grounds, Skye loves it so we are going there first."

"That's a great idea." Johnny said looking over at the door before paying attention to his friends again. The ladies should be out with the kids shortly. He was looking forward to seeing Chloe in her suit. While his wife sometimes felt uncomfortable in her own skin these days, he did his best to make sure she knew he thought she was still beautiful. Not that he had to work hard, something about her being pregnant really turned him on. "One I am totally going to copy."

"Having a nanny helps. Kids change things. You have to put in more work so that your wife knows you see her as a woman and not just a mom." Francis knew they had it easier than a lot of parents. Their helper only worked part time but knowing Lila Rae was safe made it so they could concentrate on one another when they were out.

"We will be starting the interview process when we get back home." Johnny told his friends.

"Can you shoot me the name of your agency?" Jason requested. "Elizabeth and I are talking about getting some help."

"You won't need help for long, Cameron will start pre-school in a year. Unless you guys plan on having more kids." Francis pointed out.

Jason didn't mean to give it away, but the grin that popped out onto his face wouldn't be denied. Not saying anything to his two closest friends already was hard, but he knew that twelve weeks was when you announced a new baby.

"No." Francis clued in first. "Is Liz pregnant?"

"She's nesting?" Johnny grinned and then he glared at his friend. "Shouldn't you have mentioned that before I kidnapped her?" His brain was conjuring up everything that could have gone wrong. "I may have to kick your ass for not doing so. After the wedding, you with a black eye at the ceremony gets me in trouble again."

"That's why she wanted to see the doctor." Francis figured out laughing at Johnny. "Are there issues?"

"Everything's good. She wanted prenatal vitamins." Jason explained about that. "Johnny she was in good hands. I wouldn't have trusted her and the kids to anyone else. It's not like you knocked her out with drugs."

"Still you should have mentioned it." Johnny would check in to make sure he hadn't upset her more than she let on. "Now Chloe telling me that her spring line wouldn't work as an I'm sorry gift makes since. Liz will be in maternity clothes by then." That was a line Chloe didn't manufacture. So he would get Liz the fall line instead.

"Congrats. How far along is she?" Francis wanted to know. That the baby was Jason's was clear.

"Almost eight weeks." Jason said bursting with pride.

"Congrats from me too. So the two of you got together, and then you did something stupid to wreck that." Johnny said putting the events in order. "Now you are forgiven and are getting married. Is that correct?"

"That is correct." Jason said nodding. He knew what the next question was going to be so answered it. "I'm still not telling you what I did."

"Spoilsport." Johnny said with a pout. "I always share when I do something stupid."

"That's because you need ideas for getting out of trouble. Jason just needed help pulling his idea off. I'll get Skye to tell me." Francis said laughing. There was no way his wife didn't know. The fact that his friends were having a baby was surprising, but great news. What wasn't surprising was that they finally slept together. That had been building for years, and after how close they became this summer it just a matter of when not if.

"Good point, Chloe probably knows." Johnny said with a smirk. "I can't wait to find out what you did so that I can tease you about it forever." He said laughing. "No comeback?"

"He zoned out." Francis said laughing, as he stood up. "The ladies are here."

"Ah." Johnny's back was to the door. He didn't normally sit that way but he trusted the two men he was with to keep him safe. "They do look lovely." He liked any outfit that showed off Chloe's bump. The one piece did just that.

"Better than we deserve." Francis said agreeing. Skye was in black, he loved her in black.

Jason didn't say anything but just walked over to where his family was standing. Cameron was wearing swim trunks covered in turtles and looked really cute. Elizabeth was wearing a suit so sexy he was starting to sweat with the effort to keep from getting hard. "Hi."

"Hi." Liz could see in his eyes he liked the suit. "I like your trunks. I don't normally get to see you in green." His wardrobe didn't have a lot of variety in it. She also really liked seeing him without a shirt on.

"This was the only dark color they had when I picked them up." Jason said a bit sheepishly. He had gotten the trunks almost three years ago, but this was the first time he was wearing them. "I really like your suit. You too Cam." He remembered to add his son, but taking his eyes off his girl was no easy task.

Cameron lit up at the praise and blushed hiding his face against his mother's leg.

"Let me inflate Cameron's water wings and we can get in the pool." Elizabeth had picked some up yesterday.

"I got him a vest." Jason pointed to the table where Francis was helping Lila Rae into hers. "Francis said it was the better way to go. I hope that's okay?"

"It's fine." Elizabeth wanted Jason to feel comfortable making decisions for Cameron. They would make decisions together for both their children, but there were times where they would have to make choices alone.

"Come on buddy, after you put on the vest we can get in the water." Jason held out his hand and Cameron took it. Holding that little hand in his always made Jason feel a measure of pride. The little boy never hesitated to offer his trust.

"Momma too." Cameron held out his other hand.

"Yeah, momma too." Jason was looking forward to doing all kinds of things with his family from this point on.

"I blabbed about the baby." He mentioned as they approached the table.

"That's fine. I did too." She said with a small smile. "Chloe guessed so I fessed up. We can celebrate the pregnancy along with the wedding. You can tell Em when we get home."

"Lila knows. She figured it out." Jason said grabbing the vest. Everyone else was already in the water. "Em is going to hurt me, you know that right?"

"Just promise her she can be the godmother and all will be forgiven." Liz knew her best friend well. "Ready for the water?"

"Uh huh." Cameron wanted to go play with his new best friend.

"Then let's go get wet." Jason said standing up and picking the little boy up too. All three of them stepped into the pool together to join their friends for an early afternoon of fun.

* * *

Carly was pissed by the time she walked into her office at the Metro Court. Kate was MIA. No one would tell Carly where Sonny had been transferred to. She hadn't been able to track down Dante, her lawyer said that at the moment she had no legal grounds to contest the move, and Jason still hadn't called her back. He better have a damn good explanation for disappearing when all hell was breaking loose. If nothing else her best friend should be around in case she needed him during the hotel renovations.

Besides she had juicy gossip to share. Nurse Goody-Goody had run off with Ric Lansing. The hospital was all abuzz with the news. Carly hadn't been pleased with all the time Jason was spending with Liz. What was worse was that no matter what Carly couldn't seem to come between them like she normally did. If she hadn't spent so much time trying to keep her marriage intact Liz wouldn't have been able to move in on a lonely Jason. So that was one thing less Carly had to take care off.

"Here is the VIP list." Marty had been thrilled with the Jacks family vacation wasn't cancelled. He was looking forward to a few months without Carly. The renovations was something Olivia could handle on her own, because she was very capable. So when he learned Carly wasn't going he had done his best not to pout.

"We have a VIP list?" Carly asked surprised. "I wasn't aware any of the suites were booked.

"There was a problem at the Port Charles Hotel and Mrs. Quartermaine instructed her manager to send one of their guests here." He explained.

"Who?" Carly asked taking the paper. "Oh, I don't think so. That bitch is not spending a single night in my hotel." She said tossing the paper down and storming out of the office.

Marty just stood there and rolled his eyes. Drama like this wasn't uncommon with Carly. She couldn't separate business and personal. He would go back to the front desk and wait to see if they were about to lose a guest.

Carly stabbed at the call button. Claudia Zacchara was about to get kicked out on her ass, first from the hotel and then from Port Charles.

* * *

Thanks for the reviews!


	14. Chapter 14

ABC/DISNEY owns GH. No copyright infringement is intended.

* * *

Chapter 14

"Just a second!" Claudia said walking quickly to the door. She looked through the peephole and smirked. "Yes?"

"What do I have to do, to get you to go home?" John asked his sister.

"I'm not leaving." Claudia said walking away from the door. "I expect to hear from Palermo any day now. Do you know where Jason is?"

"Out of town, and Palermo is not going to approve your request." John told his sister again. "Why do you think you have a shot at marrying Jason?"

"Maximus owes his life to our Uncle Rudy." Claudia said shrugging. Their uncle had uncovered, and then halted, an assassination attempt on the Don. "Debts like that need to be honored."

"It was honored when Maximus said I was out." John wondered if his sister suffered from the same issues their father had. Anthony was an insane, and dangerous, egomaniac. He felt that the world was his for the taking and didn't care who got hurt in his quest for power. He killed their mother, and almost killed John. Claudia was showing more of those same traits as the years went by. If she ever married anyone with real power it was going to be ugly.

"That was for you. Maximus hasn't done anything for me yet." Claudia said taking a seat. This hotel was tacky, but there wasn't anywhere else she could stay. At least she wasn't footing the bill, her future grandmother was taking care of that.

John just shook his head. Maximus didn't owe them anything, but he had still granted John's request in his uncle's name. "When he says no are you going to call him up and remind him of the debt you think he has?" That really would get his sister killed.

"He won't say no. Have you spoken to Trevor lately? I called him and he didn't answer." Claudia needed to start having her assets in Italy sold off.

"I don't have any reason to talk with Trevor. He no longer represents my interests." John had been happy to retain Diane as his attorney. Trevor had grumbled some about loyalty, but Ms. Miller had quickly put an end to that. John simply didn't trust Trevor. "If you were smart you would dump him too."

"Trevor is ruthless, the man will do anything for money. That's just what I need in an attorney. I'm hoping he will join me here after the wedding. He can spend time with his son." Claudia thought Ric was delicious, but he didn't have the power she craved. So there was no point in even going there.

"Claudia if you stay here." John tried a different tack, because his sister was being stubborn. "There will be a long list of people waiting to kill you." He stated matter of factly. "Starting with my girlfriend."

"Is that what this is about? Georgianna? I actually like her with you. She's smart, and doesn't take shit." Claudia smiled remembering their encounter yesterday. "I will leave her alone. You have my word."

John had seen his sister break her word without even blinking, so that didn't mean much to him. "Stay away from her Claudia." He warned.

A slow sinister smile came to Claudia's face. "Wow, you really like her. Almost makes me want to test how much. What would you do John if I went after your girlfriend? How would you respond? What would you do to protect her? Would that finally make you recognize who you really are?"

That was the moment John became aware of two things. One his sister was more dangerous than he had wanted to believe, and two she was going to do something that meant she wasn't leaving the city alive. It was just a matter of who killed her. John just didn't want it to be Georgie. If his sister tried anything it might just be him who did her in. "Stay away from her Claudia." He repeated in a hard tone.

The Italian brunette just laughed. "I'm kidding. I will behave around your girlfriend. Bring her to my wedding, I should probably start getting to know her."

Before John could say anything there was another knock on the door.

"I am very popular this morning." Claudia looked through the peephole. "John your visit is over. I have to deal with this."

"We will talk again." John said as his sister opened the door. Carly Jacks was standing there pissed. He was guessing she was another member of his sister's fan club. Jason would be a bone of contention between them because Carly didn't think the mob boss could do anything without her approval. "Mrs. Jacks."

"John." Carly said dismissing the runaway mobster.

"Come in Carly." Claudia said with a cold smile. "What can I do for you?" She asked closing the door.

"You can get the hell out of my hotel." Carly said putting her hands on her hips. She noted the ice bucket with a bottle of champagne, it was the kind they gave to the VIP guests. It was normally on the house, however not today. That bottle would be appearing on the bill.

"Believe me this dump is the last place I want to be. There was a leak in my suite at the Port Charles Hotel, so I ended up here. I'd much rather stay at the establishment my future family owns." Claudia said putting down the Metro Court. "It's classier."

"You're future family? Delusional much?" Carly couldn't believe her.

"When Jason and I get married I'll be a Quartermaine. You were one, until they tossed your ass back into the gutter where you came from." Claudia knew Carly's history. "You popped out a bastard and they still wouldn't let you stay."

"Don't talk about my son like that." Carly said through gritted teeth.

"You mean your meal ticket. The child you used to keep Sonny and Jason on the hook?" Claudia had no interest in children. They just took up time. "That isn't going to work anymore. Jason won't be playing daddy to your kid once I'm his wife."

Carly hauled off and slapped Claudia. "You are not getting your hooks into Jason. He loves Michael and Jason wouldn't chose you over my son."

"Bitch!" Claudia said delivering a slap of her own. No one hit her. That was all it took to set off the fight. With no one on this floor, or the one below them, to hear them there wasn't anyone around to call security to break things up before they went too far. They rolled around on the floor trading scratches, pulling hair, and at one point Carly somehow got her hands around Claudia's throat.

The brunette managed to gain her feet first and looked around for a weapon. There wasn't much out here and her gun was in the bedroom so she needed to get to it. She was done playing games, getting rid of Carly was going to happen eventually. It just looked like the timeline had been moved up.

Carly had enough of this bitch. She wasn't going to come between Jason and Michael. Claudia needed to go. Carly was half mad with anger and grabbed the first thing handy which was the unopened champagne bottle. She swung out and made contact.

There was a dull thud at the bottle hit the side of Claudia's skull followed by a loud crack when the brunette's head slammed into the wooden coffee table. She rolled to the floor and stayed there as a large pool of blood began to form under her still body. It wasn't until it reached the carpet that Carly actually moved.

The hotel owner dropped the bottle and reached in her pants pocket for her phone.

* * *

Of course her first call was to Jason, she needed him to make this go away. Not reaching him on his cell phone she called the office and Cody Paul answered. While not her best friend he was good enough. He would clean this up because Jason would want him too.

Cody took ten minutes to reach the hotel with Marco. During the ride over he made one phone call where he received instructions on how this was to be handled. Not the cleanup, Lila didn't need to tell him about that. No the Quartermaine matriarch's instructions were all about dealing with Carly.

"She's over there." The blonde woman pointed to the body.

"There is a large crater on the side of her head. What did you hit her with?" Cody said looking at the body. The amount of blood wasn't shocking, head wounds bled like crazy.

"The champagne bottle." Carly said feeling sick to her stomach.

"What did you fight over?" Cody asked like he didn't know.

"She kept saying she was going to marry Jason and push Michael out of his life." Carly recounted.

Cody looked at Marco, they were both thinking the same thing. Carly had been using Michael as a way to stay close to Jason for years. Looked like that pattern of behavior was over. "Marco stay here. The cleanup crew will arrive shortly." Cody looked at Carly. "We can't move the body until dark, can you not book this floor today?"

"We don't have any incoming reservations. Walk ins don't happen at hotels this expensive. Not for suites like this." Carly said looking everywhere but at the woman she had killed.

"Good. Come with me." Cody nodded to Marco who nodded back.

"Where are we going?" Carly wanted to know.

"Just come with me." Cody said leading her to the stairs. They would walk down to avoid any cameras. He didn't say another word as they got in the car and he drove out to the Quartermaine mansion.

"Why are we here?" This was the last place she expected them to come.

"The boss wants to see you." Cody said opening her door.

"Jason's home? Why didn't he answer his cell phone? And why is he here?" Carly shot out the questions as they walked to the terrace doors. She hadn't been back in the mansion since just before AJ left the city. He had tried to get custody of Michael, she had come to tell her ex it wasn't going to happen.

Cody opened the door and followed the annoying blonde inside. He had no idea what was going to happen but he knew it was going to be entertaining. "Hello Caroline, have a seat." Lila instructed pointing to the settee.

"Where is Jason?" Carly needed him to give her a hug. He would understand that Claudia had pushed her to commit murder.

"My grandson is out of the country at the moment planning his wedding to Elizabeth Webber." Lila said with a wide smile.

"Liz is with Ric." Carly said shaking her head no.

"Amy Vining is a gossip who rarely gets anything correct. You shouldn't put any stock in anything she says. I know exactly where Jason is, and who he is with. He left me in charge of things while he is away, and you Carly as usual have caused a rather large mess." Lila said looking at the woman who had so badly hurt both of Alan's sons. "Unlike my grandson I'm not going to pat you on the head and send you on your way. I am going to make you pay for your actions. Sit down."

"You're sending me to prison?" She asked doing as instructed. Carly knew Lila didn't like her. Carly stole Michael, and did everything she could to destroy AJ when he came for his son. She also did her best to keep Jason from reconciling with his family.

"No. Prison would be too easy." Lila said her blue eyes sparking fire. "It would only be a matter of time before someone killed you for running your mouth. I want you to suffer as much as possible. And the best way for that to happen is for you to lose the thing you value the most."

"My son?" Carly said meaning Michael. Morgan didn't even rate a thought.

"Please, we both know you are a horrible mother." Lila said shaking her head. "Michael isn't first with you Carly. You only pull him out when you need something. I'm talking about Jason. You are no longer going to be a part of his life."

"You can't make that happen." Carly said going for bravado.

"Yes I can. I have the murder weapon. I have your phone call to Cody confessing your crime." She nodded and Cody accessed the system. They could record incoming calls and he had done just that on the off chance the call was important. With Lila setting something in motion it paid to be prepared.

They all listened as Carly said she had killed Claudia. When Cody asked if she was sure, the blonde woman said she was positive. There was no pulse, Claudia wasn't breathing, and there was blood everywhere. She then went on to say she need this to go away.

"It was self-defense." Carly said going for the only thing that could save her.

"As we speak the crew cleaning the suite is taking pictures. They will show that Claudia doesn't have a weapon. Also I'm sure that Georgianna Jones would be happy to talk about how you were screaming at Claudia yesterday in Kelly's." Lila went on.

"Georgie wasn't exactly friendly." Carly wasn't giving up Jason, Lila could try whatever she wanted.

"John can also attest that you were in the room." Lila continued to lay out the evidence against Carly.

"This won't go to court, the crew is contaminating the scene." Carly said smugly.

"Who said anything about court?" Lila wasn't looking for justice from the legal system. "I have no intention of calling the police. I will however call Sammy Tagliatti."

"Why?" Carly knew that name. It was one of the few people Sonny was actually scared of. She knew Jason wasn't, but if he was off marrying muffin then he couldn't be counted on to get back in time to save her.

"He's Claudia's godfather. I'm sure that if he learned his goddaughter was murdered by you he would want retribution. Jason isn't going to protect you from Sammy. Jason will have a new wife and son to protect a mob war will be the last thing he wants. Because we both know that one person Jason has ever put before you is Elizabeth. And we both know that since he is marrying her that isn't going to change. So Carly I'm going to keep your secret. For a price." Lila said letting her voice go ice cold.

Carly was caught and she knew it. Lila wasn't lying, she didn't have a reason to lie about a wedding. The older woman was also right about Jason putting Liz first. "What are your terms?" Lila was old and when she was dead things would go back to normal. Even as she was thinking that another voice was speaking up. By that point Liz would be impossible to get rid of, and Carly would still be on the outside looking in. "Do you want me to leave Port Charles?"

"Then you wouldn't suffer. I did mention that was my endgame. You are going to stay here Carly. But you are no longer going to be a part of Jason's life. You will not call him to fix your problems, you will not stick your nose into his business, you will not speak to him if you pass one another on the street." Lila explained how it will be. "The same conditions apply to Elizabeth as well."

"If he just drops out of Michael's life it will hurt my son." Carly saw a way to get around what Lila was trying to do.

"Jason can still be a part of Michael and Morgan's life without being in yours. But I know that my grandson barely spends time with your sons in the hopes that the damage you, he, and Sonny did can be corrected. He is letting Jax raise them which is for the best. With you no longer running after Jason maybe you can be the mother the boys need, and the wife Jax deserves." Lila continued explaining. "I'm going to be watching Carly and if you step out of line even once they will never find you."

Carly just sat there staring at Lila.

"When Elizabeth returns I'm going to turn all this information over to her. Because I'm an old woman, and if something happens to me I want to make sure you still are behaving yourself. The statute of limitations on murder never runs out in the mob world. And if Sammy dies then his son will take up the mantle if necessary." Lila explained how this was going to work. "Of course given your history with Elizabeth, she might just call out of spite. If anyone is entitled it's her. Cody call someone to take Mrs. Jacks home. We are done here." Lila instructed.

* * *

Fifteen minutes later Chris arrived and a silent Carly walked out of the mansion.

"I had no idea Tagliatti was Claudia's godfather." Cody said taking a seat.

"On her mother's side. He can't stand Claudia. Will probably be happy she's dead." Lila admitted.

"But to save face he will kill Carly." Cody knew what Lila was counting on.

"Actually to keep me silent he will kill Carly." The older woman smiled. "I know things, I believed we covered that before." She had pictures he wouldn't want getting out. Sammy had an affair with the daughter of a business associate. The woman was over twenty one so Lila didn't say anything, but her father would not be pleased to learn the baby she had was Sammy's. "How long before Carly cracks?"

"Oh no, I'm not playing that game with you again." Cody said shaking his head. "I already owe you. I have learned my lesson." Which was don't mess with the master. "Telling her that she can't leave was smooth. You are setting her up to fail."

Lila just smiled. There was no way Carly would be able to stick to the terms she agreed to. But that was fine because Lila had a plan for that too. "Since you brought up our bet. Its time I gave some thought to what I want. Don't worry it won't hurt. Much." Lila said with a wicked smile.

* * *

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	15. Chapter 15

ABC/DISNEY owns GH. No copyright infringement is intended.

Not Safe For Work

* * *

Chapter 15

"Are you ready for this to be your life?" Chloe asked with a cheeky grin as she and Liz cleaned up the den. The guys had taken the kids upstairs for story time. Lila Rae and Cameron had played until they were both barely awake.

"I'm looking forward to it." Liz said smiling. "I want a big family."

"How big?" Chloe and Johnny had decided to take it one baby at a time. They were both only children and didn't know if they wanted their child to have siblings. Their little one would certainly have cousins so being lonely shouldn't happen. At the same time they might decide to have a football team after meeting this baby.

"I want as many as I can get." Liz said laughing. "I'm one of three so I'd like at least that many. If labor and delivery doesn't traumatize Jason too much then I have a good shot at my goal."

"Good luck with that." Chloe was nervous about that part, but it was too late to back out now. "I'm going to use your tip of bath time after dinner. I imagine that makes things easier." She and her hubby had been paying closer attention to their friends' parenting styles hoping to learn some things.

"An early established bedtime routine helps too. Try not to deviate from it if you can." Liz told her friend. "I've not had the bedtime battles that some of the women in my mommy and me group have had to endure." She'd heard some horror stories. "Cameron likes to test me in other areas." The boy could be stubborn as the day was long about eating anything green. Although Liz had noticed that that tonight Cam ate all his peas without fuss and she was guessing it was because Jason said he liked them. There was a definite case of hero worship happening there.

Which lead her to thinking about her guy. He had gotten a phone call just before dinner and he had been a bit off ever since. She was hoping that he would talk with her now that the kids were in bed. It was probably a business issue, and Liz wasn't expecting him to share things in that particular area on a regular basis. Still she was hoping to ease burdens for him when she could.

"The room looks good. You would never know two toddlers had held court here a few moments ago. Come on, let's get you some juice." Liz told her friend.

"Always in nurse mode." Chloe said knowing better than to argue. "I'm going to see if I can't get my guy to take me out for a ride in one of the convertibles in the garage." Maybe they would stop for some ice cream. That was one pregnancy item she had fallen totally in line with.

"Lila Rae is out like a light." Johnny said coming downstairs and joining the ladies as they walked into the kitchen. "So what mischief can we get up to?"

Liz got down a travel mug and filled it with guava juice. Chloe had started craving it this afternoon. She added ice because her friend liked it cold.

"I would like to go for a car ride." Chloe said taking the container.

"Then that is what we shall do." Johnny said kissing her knuckles. "Will you two be okay with the munchkins?" He asked just wanting to check.

"We should be fine. Enjoy yourselves." Liz said starting a pot of coffee knowing her guy would want some. She was going to have some hot chocolate.

"Don't wait up." Johnny said linking his fingers with his wife's. Odds were they wouldn't be gone long. Late nights were rare for Chloe these days.

"We won't." Liz promised him. She was filling a mug for Jason when he walked into the kitchen.

"Can we sit outside, or will that put us too far from the kids?" Having small people in the house made him a little nervous. Last night after Liz went to sleep he had gone to check on Cameron just wanting to make sure the little boy was okay.

"It should be fine. Neither one of the kids can get out of their cribs." Elizabeth said finishing her drink with a swirl of whipped cream. "We won't stay out long."

"Okay." Jason said grabbing his drink. Out on the terrace he turned on the citronella lamps to keep the bugs at bay.

"You can talk to me about it, if you like." Liz said with a small smile.

Jason just chuckled. More than once in their long history he had said that very line to her. "Cody called earlier. Carly killed Claudia Zacchara."

Liz's mouth just dropped open. "Um." She said trying to find some words. She wasn't sure what was needed here. Just last night Jason said he was done with the blonde, and now the universe was testing that. "The woman who came to Port Charles wanting to marry you?" She was pretty sure that was the name Johnny said.

"The one and the same." Jason wasn't having trouble with that, it was everything else his enforcer said that he was dealing with.

"So you're going home?" Elizabeth figured that would be the case.

"No. The situation has been handled for the most part." John still needed to be told, but Jason was guessing that the younger man wasn't going to grieve too hard. He had been by to see Cody today, and wanted his sister gone from the city. She had apparently leveled a threat against Georgie. One John took seriously.

"Can you tell me what that means?" Liz said about the cryptic remark.

"Cleanup took place." Jason figured she would guess that on her own. "And my grandmother dealt with Carly."

"Lila? Why was she involved in your business?" Liz asked really lost now.

"She is acting in an advisory capacity to Cody. He didn't feel comfortable being left in charge on such short notice." Jason said grinning.

"Lila, an acting mob boss." Liz gave that some thought. "I can see it."

"No one is surprised by that." Jason said shaking his head. His grandmother had more street cred than he realized.

"What did she do?" Liz wanted to know.

"She blackmailed Carly into staying away from me." Jason said furrowing his brow. "Or she is attempting to."

Liz sipped her drink. This was what Jason was struggling with. She had to admit that this morning she felt guilty about asking him to give up his best friend. "That's bothering you." It wasn't a question, and living in the same town with Carly meant that they would have to deal with her eventually. Liz had no illusions that the other woman was going to go quietly.

"No." Jason said trying to explain what he was feeling. "I don't regret choosing you. I won't ever regret choosing you. Carly killed Claudia because the brunette said when we got married Michael wouldn't be part of my life anymore." He shook his head. "Carly stuck her nose in business that didn't concern her, again, and this time it cost someone their life. I have always thought it was only a matter of time before that happened. Before she went too far. I was worried it would be her life that was lost."

"Her life?" Liz said covering her guy's hand.

"I was planning to stay away from Carly, but there was no way she was going to stay away from me. When it became clear she wasn't getting her way, then she would have done something stupid. Probably where you are concerned. I was bracing myself for the fact that once we returned home the countdown to me killing Carly began." He admitted quietly. "This wasn't going to turn out any other way."

"I never would have asked that of you." Liz wanted that clear.

"You wouldn't have had to." Jason said with a half-smile. "No threats to you or Cameron or our newest little one are tolerated. No matter who they come from."

"So what exactly are you feeling?" Liz wanted to know.

"Free." Jason said smiling wider. "I feel like a two ton stone has been lifted from my neck. Lila told Carly that to even speak to me would mean Claudia's godfather would be informed of her death. Lila also told Carly that I wouldn't protect her because to do so would cause a mob war. My grandmother was completely correct about that."

"You think Carly is going to behave?" Liz was surprised by that.

"One of the conditions my grandmother put in place was Carly had to stay in Port Charles. Lila said she wanted to see Carly suffer." Jason said grinning. His grandmother really was scary. "That's the rule Carly will break first. She will try to leave permanently. Then my grandmother will do whatever she deems necessary."

"I know the feeling of freedom you are talking about. I've experienced it twice in my life. The first time was when I walked away from Ric for good. And then earlier in the year when I walked away from Lucky. Both times I felt like I could finally take a full breath in." She watched Jason nod. "Like I kicked a really bad habit. It took a little time for the new reality to set in." She was guessing that was where Jason was.

"Exactly. I felt a measure of that when I learned Sonny wasn't waking up. At one time we were close as brothers, but things between us never fully healed after he slept with Carly. I have been waiting for him to say he wants his territory back since the day he retired. I wasn't going to say yes, things are stable for the first time in a long time. I wasn't going to let him mess that up. Which would have been ugly." Jason was quiet for bit. "They both became obligations I carried for too long." He lifted his fiancee's hand and kissed her palm. "Now they are both out of my life." They both gave that some thought. "Will you stay in my room again tonight?"

"I would love that. It's too early to go to sleep." She said playing innocent.

"But not too early for other activities we can do in bed." Jason said with a wicked grin.

"Not too early at all. Finish your drink." Liz instructed.

* * *

Carly went home and had a massive tantrum. She broke pretty much anything that she could get her hands on before sitting down on the couch to figure this out. There was no doubt in her mind Lila would keep her word, but there was no way Carly was staying here and watching Jason build a life with that bitch Liz. No way in hell.

So that meant she needed to leave, and the fastest way for that to happen was Jax. Which meant Carly was going to have to put some serious effort into being the wife he wanted her to. Because she had every intention of not coming back from Sydney.

Since the family was already there Carly figured she could leave and join them. Lila wouldn't care about that. Once she landed in Australia Carly was going to find a way to make sure they didn't leave anytime soon. She was even willing to have another baby, with her track record no doctor would want her traveling especially in the first trimester. The further the pregnancy went the more high risk it would be so travel would be out altogether. Lila wouldn't be able to dispute that. Lady Jane would surely want her biological grandchild close, especially after Carly dropped some subtle hints about that being possible. Jax would of course give his mother what she wanted. Lila wasn't going to get the last word.

It would hurt to leave Jason behind, but Carly had already lost him and this way would be easier for her to deal with. One smug look from muffin would be all that was needed for Carly to blow. Taking a deep breath she called and booked a first class ticket on the first plane out in the morning. Before she left she would call Olivia and tell her she was overseeing the renovations. This time next year all the Jacks holdings in Port Charles should be either on the market or sold.

With her plan in place Carly went upstairs to pack her suitcase.

* * *

"That was an amazing meal." Skye said smiling at her hubby as they walked to the car. "We always have a good time when we go there."

"Yeah we do. Now I get to take my lovely wife dancing under the stars." Francis said dropping her a wink. They were going to a club on the beach.

Skye figured that was a great opening. "What would you think of returning to Port Charles?"

Francis started the engine and got them underway. "I would like that." He should have known they were on the same wave length. They generally were. "I'd like to be closer to everyone, and I think it would be good for our daughter to have her family around her. I'm not going back to working for Jason."

"I never thought you were. You will find something to occupy your time. We both will." Skye was ready to dip her toe back into the work force. A part time position would suit her well for now. "I wanted to talk about something else as well." She said as he parked. They both unfastened their seatbelts and turned to one another.

"I'm ready for another little one." He said laughing.

"You think you know so much." Skye said giving him a look.

"You did marry me for my looks and my brains. Which is only fair because you babe are the total package. Men turn green with envy when I walk into a room with you on my arm." He said watching the pleasure from his words come into her eyes. Heads also turned when she walked into a room. He damn near fell out of his chair the first time he saw her, so he knew what kind of impact she had.

"You Francis Corelli are a smooth talker." She said leaning forward and kissing him.

"How do you think I got you?" He said kissing her back. "Let's hit the dance floor, tomorrow we can tell everyone we are traveling back with them and start looking at houses online.

"Smart too. I'm so lucky." Skye said when he helped her out of the car.

"Later we can see which one us is the luckiest." He said dropping her a wink as they walked in to the club.

* * *

They checked on the kids first before retiring to Jason's bedroom. He took her mouth in a searing kiss as clothes went flying. At some point they would have to slow down, he really wanted to take his time and just drown in her. However right now there was just this intense need to take her. To feel her body sheathing his, to be as close to her as he could.

For her part Elizabeth wasn't at all upset with the pace they were moving at. From their one night together she knew that Jason had no problem taking his time, and that he really liked teasing her. They would get back there, right now she was feeling too greedy to take things slow.

They were down to skin in record time and rolling across the bed until they stopped with her on top. "I like having you lying under me. It makes me feel like a conquering warrior and you are my spoils." She said lightly scoring his chest with her nails. She hummed low in her chest. "Like you are mine to do whatever I want with."

"That is true. I am yours, and I will never complain if you want to treat me like your own personal sex toy." He said with a wicked grin. Liz was not a shy lover and he appreciated that. While she did like to go slow at times her passion always matched his. "Do with me what you will."

"I like the sound of that." She said rising up on her knees and slowly sliding down his cock. "That feels so good." Liz said letting her head fall back as her body stretched to take him in. "You fill me all the way up." She said rocking back and forth in small increments. "Do you like the way you feel inside me?"

"I love it." Jason said placing his hands on her hips to help her stay stable. "Whenever you are anywhere near me I can't think of anything but how long it will be until we are alone and I can have you again. I thought about you every night when I was out of town."

Liz let her hips pump a bit faster. "What would you do Jason when you were all alone and thinking of me."

"I'd have to take matters into my own hands. I would pretend it was your tight fist holding my cock and pumping until I exploded." He said as a light sheen of sweat covered his chest. She was moving faster the more they talked. "It wasn't as good as they way you made me feel. Nothing is as good as that."

Liz didn't answer because she was moving on him hard and fast now. Listening to him talk about pleasuring himself was hot as hell. She was going to want to see that for herself. Later, because right now she had him deep inside her body, and her orgasm was pressing down on her. She felt his thumb brush her clit and moaned. Jason's hands were a little rough from working on his bike, and handling his gun. They never failed to make her shiver. "Again!" She demanded.

He gave her what she wanted. Placing his finger so that every time she came down on him her clit brushed against it. He was ready to blow, but was trying to hold off until she shattered.

"Jason!" Elizabeth called his name as her body gave into the pleasure.

"Elizabeth." He growled pumping hard and fast into her until he was empty. Then he urged her down and kissed her. "You can conquer me anytime you like."

"I like the sound of that." Liz said snuggling close. "Let me take a short nap, and we'll get back to that."

"I'll be here when you are ready." He said rubbing her back until she drifted off to sleep.

* * *

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	16. Chapter 16

ABC/DISNEY owns GH. No copyright infringement is intended.

* * *

Chapter 16

"Mrs. Quartermaine." Cody said standing as she came into the room.

"If we keep meeting like this people will talk." Lila said laughing.

"Kelly said that you are the only woman in the city she will share me with. She sent this." Cody said handing over the thank you card for the flowers.

"You will have to bring her to lunch." Lila liked Kelly very much. "So what did you need?"

"Carly left Port Charles this morning." He passed along.

"I know. I wasn't surprised. She will hide behind the fact that her children are in Australia. She is probably going to try to talk Jax into staying there. It won't work though." Lila had thought ahead, much further than Carly.

"May I ask why not?" Cody was so glad the territory was quite. It gave him plenty of time for these chats.

"Jane cannot stand her daughter in-law." Lila said adjusting the blanket covering her legs. "She adores her grandchildren though. So if Carly stays in Australia, Jane will do everything she can to destroy that marriage and will make sure Jax gets custody of those boys. She will also bounce Carly from the country. Which means that Carly will end up in Port Charles again, because she will have nowhere else to go, and back in my crosshairs."

"Did you talk with Mrs. Jacks?" Cody wanted to know.

"Not in the past few months. Although I should give her a heads up as to what is happening here." Lila very much liked Jane, and the feeling was mutual. After John's death Lila had reached out and offered Jane a place to escape the media for a bit. The press had been relentless in covering the billionaire's passing and took the opportunity to bring up Jerry's misdeeds.

"So Carly is caught between a rock and a hard place?" Cody just laughed. "Only she doesn't know it."

"Exactly. By making this decision she is only hastening her losing everything." Lila said with a small smile. "We will let Jane take it from here for now unless she calls and requests assistance. Anything else of note?"

"Nikolas Cassadine left Port Charles and is in Italy." Cody wasn't reading anything into the trip.

Lila just waved her hand. "He is not of interest to me." She wasn't a fan after the way his marriage to Emily ended. "Nikolas is nothing like his father or grandmother which is really all I care about." She knew he was running around looking for Elizabeth. Lila had asked a few questions of the right people and found out why. Her stepping in wasn't needed so she would leave that alone.

"Okay, I have to go to work. I need to do something that will impress my boss when he returns home. You are making me look bad with how much you are getting done." Cody said shaking his head. "I'll check with Kelly about lunch." The enforcer said getting to his feet.

"Don't worry about looking bad. Jason is aware that my level of awesomeness is unmatched." Lila said laughing.

The enforcer was wiping his eyes he was laughing so hard as he walked out of the mansion. He kinda of hoped Jason took more trips while Johnny was away. This was the most fun Cody had working in years. He also kind of hoped someone else did something stupid so that he could watch Lila take them out too.

* * *

After leaving the mansion he had a stop to make before he headed back to the office. Jason said he would handle this but Cody assured his boss he had the situation under control. He parked behind the club and used the employee entrance to walk into the building. From the back he could hear some conversations, the club wouldn't be busy until after the sun went down but they were open for customers now. He knocked on the closed office door and waited for John to yell.

"Hey." John said standing up but staying behind his desk. He had been waiting for someone to show up all day. This morning he decided to take one more crack at getting his sister to leave. At the hotel he was told she checked out yesterday evening. Claudia didn't give up, even when it was in her best interests to do so, which made John think leaving hadn't been her idea. "Is she dead?"

"Yes." Cody said standing on the other side of the desk.

"Maximus?" John didn't for one minute think this was Jason. If the mob boss was here then maybe John would have thought differently. So the next obvious choice was the Don. There were consequences to not following his orders.

"Carly." Cody had been instructed not to lie. "We covered it up in exchange for her staying away from Jason."

John burst out laughing. "There is no way that is going to happen. She's like an obsessed stalker with a celebrity." It would take a while for Claudia's death to settle. He wouldn't grieve much, because he wasn't a hypocrite. He wasn't that close to his sister, also because he had known for years this day was coming. "You wasted your time. Or are you expecting her to blow the terms of the deal?"

"Carly is going to pay for killing your sister." Cody assured the younger man.

"I'm not interested in revenge." John had worked hard to make sure he didn't walk the same path as his family members. Even going into therapy so that he had the tools to cope with the mess his childhood had been. His family wasn't just insane like most people thought, they were also evil. "That doesn't do anything but spawn a cycle of pain." He said shaking his head.

"Jason will arrange protection for you if you don't wish to stay in Port Charles." Cody extended the offer.

"This is the first real place that I can call home. I'm not leaving." John said taking a seat. "This is going to sound really horrible, but in a way I'm grateful to Carly. I thought for sure that I would end up hurting Claudia because she went after Georgie. At least I don't have to worry about that any longer. When is Jason coming home?"

"Sometime next week." Cody said keeping it vague. "He will stop by and see you."

John nodded. That wasn't surprising, Jason was a stand-up guy. "Thank you for coming to tell me." They could have very well left him in the dark, something John was aware of.

"If you need anything give a holler." Cody said before walking out of the office. They would keep an eye on John, not because they expected him to try something, but because everyone really did like him. He was family. They would check in with Georgie too, just so she knew they were around if John needed them.

* * *

Nikolas watched the ground recede as his private plane took off. Italy had been a bust. Well, not completely because he did learn that Trevor Lansing was no longer among the living. He also learned that no one had seen Ric, Liz, or Cameron. So now Nik was thinking that Ric had used his father's death to cover the kidnapping. In roughly nine hours he would be back in Port Charles, with Andre. The first thing that needed to happen was Nik needed to learn whether or not Liz was back.

He was guessing no.

If his hunch proved to be correct then he needed to start tracing Ric's movements. It would be impossible to exit the country without leaving some sort of trace. At the same time he would be tracking Liz's movements, trying to find out who saw her last and exactly when that was. That information would help him create a timeline.

Talking to Emily might be helpful as well. This was probably the only subject his ex-wife would speak to him about. While she was forgiving and had a big heart Nikolas's affair with Courtney had brought out a side to Emily that was rarely seen. If it wasn't for Spencer, Nik truly believed she would have asked her brother to take him on a one way trip.

Which brought up another possible source of information. Jason Morgan. The mob boss was back after an extended trip. He might know where Liz and Cameron were. Best case scenario was that he was protecting them from Ric. If so Nik didn't expect Jason to share that information. If he wasn't then Ric would have someone else looking for him because Nik knew that Jason hadn't been dating Sam.

"Andre." Nikolas said unfastening his seatbelt.

"Yes, sir?" Andre was doing the same.

"When we land, I want you to make sure my brother and sister were buried per my instructions." Nikolas just had them put in the ground without any fanfare since he had to leave. He also didn't want Andre following him around, he didn't fully trust the manservant yet.

"I can do that." Andre would do whatever was needed.

"I'll send you the information." Nikolas said pulling out his phone. He did, and then he sent yet another text message to Liz hoping to get an answer.

* * *

"That view is incredible." Chloe said looking out the window of the private room that Liz was thinking about booking. They would have the ceremony here and then lunch after.

"It is gorgeous." Skye had to agree.

"I was thinking we could have the ceremony on the terrace, and then come inside for lunch." Liz said looking at her two friends. "The photographer can use all the water as the background." She looked at her friends and smiled. "Jason has gotten the judge and after we gals are done with our morning he and I are going to get the license."

"I'm so excited that I get to see you two marry each other." Chloe said tearing up. Everything made her cry these days. "I'm going to be a mess, you know that right?" She said laughing.

"Don't worry I'll be a mess too." Skye said smiling. "Weddings always make me cry."

"I'm pretty sure I'll have a few tears myself." Liz said as they walked out onto the terrace. "Yes, the ceremony out here." She said getting excited about the fact that she was joining her life to Jason's. "So enough about me. Anyone else have news to share?" Liz looked at Skye. She and Francis were both in a great mood this morning.

"Last night my hubby and I decided that we are moving back to Port Charles." Skye let her friends know.

"Yay!" Liz said as the women had a group hug. "That is the best wedding present ever!"

"Our kids will all grow up together." Chloe said really crying now. "Have you started looking at houses yet?"

"No, I see a long hotel stay in our future." Skye said shrugging. "Lila is going to suggest the mansion, but I don't think that is the best idea." Skye and Monica didn't get along, so that wasn't going to work. "I contacted a realtor this morning and I'm hoping to get some listings tomorrow. I would be happy to entertain opinions. What are you guys thinking about housing?" She asked Liz. Chloe and Johnny already had a house.

"We are going to start at my house, but I know that won't work long term. Too many neighbors." Liz resigned herself to house hunting. "Both Kate and Sonny's houses are on the market now. Kate's home is lovely, Sonny's not so much." Liz said being honest.

"I've been to Kate's, it is very nice." Chloe told her friend. "You also wouldn't be too far from Johnny and me."

"I'll see if the realtor sends the house in the listings. I have certain things I'm looking for." Skye let them know.

"Of course you do." Liz said nodding. "What about the island house?"

"We are keeping it, and are going to rent it out." Skye told them. "Unless we get an offer we can't refuse." She said laughing at the use of the famous quote.

Chloe just shook her head. "That was bad."

"I know." Skye just couldn't help it.

"We have two things to celebrate." Liz said as they walked out of the space. Now it was off to get their nails done.

* * *

"So I have some news to share." Francis said to his best friends. They were back at the house after a morning of getting suits and booking the judge. Jason would be leaving the house in a couple of hours to get the license. Which meant it was a good time to talk.

"Another baby?" Johnny guessed.

"No, I would announce that with Skye. Like we did with Lila Rae." Francis told them. They broke the news over Thanksgiving pizza. "We are moving back to Port Chuck."

"Really?" Jason said slapping his friend on the back. "Lila will be thrilled."

"You are welcome to stay with us until you get settled." Johnny told his friend.

"How often do you get in trouble?" Francis wanted to know. "You never invite guests over without consulting with your wife, and never while she's pregnant."

Johnny just grinned. Yeah, he got in trouble quite a bit.

"We are staying at the Port Charles Hotel until we find a house, and said house has whatever work Skye wants done completed." Francis let them know. Since that construction would be handled by Jason's crew it would happen quickly.

"Stay at the Towers. In my old place." Jason knew that wasn't where he, Elizabeth, and Cameron were going to live. In fact tomorrow Jason was going to call and have his things packed up.

"Now that is a good idea." Francis wanted them somewhere safe. "If Skye is okay with it then we accept."

"You can paint and what not." Jason told his friend.

"I'm hoping not to be there that long." Francis figured there had to be something that would work. He didn't want to build from scratch.

"I'll talk with Monica." Jason told his friend. "And ask her to back off of Skye."

"You don't have to." Francis said watching the kids in the ball pit.

"He needs to talk to his mother about Elizabeth." Johnny explained to Francis. "Monica seemed to be getting close with Sam for some reason, and was not being so nice to Liz. A few weeks ago I thought Emily was going to bash her mother's head in for being snarky."

Francis didn't say anything, but his stepmother in-law was not his favorite person. Nor was Alan who hadn't bothered to rein Monica in. "Don't get in the middle of that." Francis told his friend. "Words are coming between the two of them Monica didn't even call about Alan, Emily did." His father in-law's health issue were just another reason they were moving back.

"I'm here if you need backup." Jason was still going to be talking with Monica.

"Me too. And of course there is Lila." Johnny couldn't wait for Cody to fill him in on what they missed.

"No one will mess with Lila." Francis figured with her on his side his battle was already won.

"Nope." Jason said laughing. "I want to be that badass when I grow up, but I'm not sure it's possible." He said with a grin. His phone buzzed. "The ladies are at the salon." His friends just nodded. They were both happily married and Jason couldn't wait to say he was too.

* * *

Thanks for the reviews!


	17. Chapter 17

ABC/DISNEY owns GH. No copyright infringement is intended.

* * *

Chapter 17

Emily was heading to her car when her name was called out, turning she saw Dante and smiled. He really was very easy to look at. "Hello, if you are here to talk with my dad your timing is great. He is up and alert." She said with a smile. He was also proving doctors were horrible patients. Emily walked in and found him reviewing his own chart. She promptly snatched if from him and instructed him to rest.

"I am here for just that reason. He's one of the last statements I need to get. I'm glad that he is recovering." Dante found that he really liked looking at Emily. Despite living in the same town he hadn't noticed her because his eyes didn't wander when he was in a relationship.

"Thank you, how did the transfer go?" Emily asked leaning against her car. Carly hadn't been seen skulking around the halls which everyone found odd. They thought for sure she would be trying to force someone to divulge exactly where Sonny was.

"Good. Kate is back here packing up. She said Sonny is all settled and in a really nice room. The care center is supposed to be one of the best in the country." Dante would go down at some point, and so would Olivia. Both visits would be out of duty rather than some great concern. "Diane set up a trust so that whatever the doctor says he needs he can get." Which meant Dante was totally hands off. The money was coming from Sonny's personal account so there wouldn't ever been a concern as to how to pay for things.

"You don't have to feel guilty." Emily knew that look from work. "You guys weren't close and no one expects you to suddenly play the grieving son."

"Thanks." Dante didn't feel guilt, just regret at what might have been. They butted heads from the moment he arrived and Sonny decided that all of a sudden he wanted to be a dad. "I'm glad that I ran into you, I was wondering if you might like to get dinner some night. I enjoyed our coffee, and the conversation that went with it." She hadn't called him yet and he finally decided he didn't want to wait.

"I would like that." The card that he gave Emily had been burning a hole in her pocket, she just hadn't had the time to call. "What did you have in mind?"

"Thai? Unless you don't like it. I'm pretty easy going food wise." Dante suggested. "I just can't I take you to an Italian restaurant or my mother will kill me." He said laughing.

"I've been fortunate enough to sample her cooking. Liz brought in leftovers and got cut early, so she left them for me." Emily explained. "That lasagna was better than anything you will get in a restaurant around here." Just the smell as it reheated had her drooling.

"She taught me how to cook, I'll have to make you something sometime." Dante offered.

Emily smiled and before she could answer spotted Nikolas walking across the parking lot.

Dante turned and spotted Cassadine. Based on the look on Emily's face she wasn't that thrilled to see her ex. "Want me to stay?"

"No, its fine. I'm not afraid of Nikolas, just not very fond of him." Emily said being honest.

"I'd like to stay." Dante was feeling protective.

"Okay." Emily said smiling again. "Nikolas." She didn't make introductions because it wasn't needed. Lulu would have taken her boyfriend to meet her brother.

"Detective." Nikolas greeted, and then dismissed, Dante. "Emily have you seen Liz?" There was no need for small talk.

"Not recently no. She is off the schedule for family reasons." Emily had asked Steven if everything was okay, and he said not to worry. He also said his sister was out of reach so not to bother to call. "I have no idea when she'll be back."

Nikolas frowned at that. "I'm worried about her. No one knows where she is."

Emily heard an odd note in Nikolas's tone. It almost sounded like desperation. "Steven said she is fine." She watched relief come over her ex-husband. He and Liz were close, but the conversation was leaving her with a weird vibe. "Did you need something?"

"I was worried she was with Ric." Nikolas admitted out loud. "With him disappearing at the same time. Amy said they have been seen together recently."

"Ric is also dealing with family issues, but Liz isn't helping him. I can guarantee you that. You shouldn't listen to Amy." Emily was not a fan of the nurse.

"Good. If you hear from Liz please ask her to call me." Nikolas said before heading back to his car.

"Is he interested in Liz?" Dante asked Emily. Cassadine had been trying to keep his emotions in check, but Dante still read him clearly. First worry, then upset, followed by relief.

"I hope not. She doesn't see him that way. She is one of the last friends Nikolas has around here. If he tries for more he will lose that. " Emily said shaking her head. "I need to head home, I'm in charge of getting everything at the house set up for my father's return." Hopefully the day after tomorrow. "Call me about that dinner."

Dante held open her door. "I'll do that. Drive carefully."

"Absolutely." She said before pulling off.

* * *

Jason was leaning against the side of his car when the ladies emerged from the salon. Milo was taking Chloe and Skye back to the house and he nodded at the young guard. "Did you enjoy your morning?" Jason asked his fiancée when she was next to him.

"I did." She held up a hand and wiggled her fingers. "It's been forever since I got a manicure with color. Working at the hospital makes it pointless to get anything but a shine." She explained getting into the car.

"They look very nice." Jason knew what he was expected to say. Although the only color on her fingernails was a stripe of white across the top. But if she was happy then so was he.

Since she brought up the hospital this was the perfect chance to talk about the decision she had reached. "I've been thinking about the hospital since we got engaged."

"What about it?" Jason asked as they drove to the courthouse. "Steven assured me that you're taking time off wouldn't be a problem. Are you worried Monica is going to give you a hard time when you return?" Jason hadn't talk to Liz about the relationship between the two women.

"No." Liz said shaking her head. "Monica giving me a hard time is the last thing I'm worried about." She didn't really pay the Chief of Surgery any mind, which was easy because Liz wasn't on Monica's service.

"You sound really confident about that." Jason said pulling into the parking lot.

"Your mother was trying to be Sam's friend because she thought you two had gotten back together." Liz said shrugging. "Monica wants to have a bigger presence in your life and saw a way to make that happen. Sam was not my biggest fan, and Monica copied that attitude."

"My mother is a bit old to be bowing to peer pressure." Jason parked and they got out of the vehicle. "I understand Emily wasn't that happy about Monica's attitude."

"No your sister has taken your mother to task on a couple of occasions. I just let it roll off my back. Hopefully my returning home as your wife will not be too awkward." Liz gave him a smile as they walked into the building. "And speaking of the returning home, I've decided to leave the hospital."

"Why?" Jason was surprised to hear that.

"I want to stay home with our children." Liz told him.

Jason scanned the directory before they walked further into the building. "I'm not going to lie. I like the sound of that."

"I thought you might." Liz said laughing. "I have heard you mention how hard it is to guard Em while she's at work."

"If you want to return to work speak up. We can make sure you stay safe." Jason let her know.

"I am aware of that. Chloe also mentioned a possible job, we haven't really talked much about that but I'm thinking it will be something that will use my artistic skills. That also appeals to me." Liz hadn't ever given up on her dream of making a living as an artist.

"I just want you to be happy." Jason said as they stood outside the office where they would get their license. "Which is why I bought us a house." He had been waiting to tell her this since he made the deal.

Liz's mouth dropped open. "A house?" She hadn't seen that coming.

"The perfect house for us." Jason said smiling wider. She was going to love it, which was all that mattered. He had lived over Jake's which proved he could live anywhere.

"Where is this perfect house?" Liz wanted to know.

"In Port Charles." Jason said being a smartass.

"Really?" Liz said arching a brow. "Where exactly in Port Charles?"

"453 Maple Avenue." Jason said watching delight coming into his love's eyes.

"You bought my Gram's house from Steven?" Elizabeth asked stunned. As the eldest grandchild her brother inherited it.

"Steven and Olivia are not having children, and your brother said the house was just too big for them. He called me and offered it to us. He wouldn't take any money so I made a donation to the hospital in your grandmother's name." Jason explained how they reached a deal. "I offered them Penthouse Two and they accepted." Again no money was changing hands.

"I don't know what to say." Liz said stepping closer and sighing in pleasure as Jason's arms came around her. "I love that house." It had seen her happy and sad, but it was always home. The first real one she ever had. "Thank you."

"You're welcome." He said holding her closer. "That's why I told your brother we would take it. The security is being upgraded and it will be ready by the time we get back to the city." The house sat on several acres of land and was backed by trees which would give them security. Liz could still have a sense of community and be part of a neighborhood, while he had enough space to not feel crowded. "If you want any rooms painted a specific color just call Cody today and he will tell the crew. I'd rather not move into a house that smells like paint."

"The colors are perfect. Olivia asked me to pick wall colors when she and Steven moved in two years ago. I can't wait to build our life there." Liz said smiling up at him. "Let's get our license so we can get started."

Jason opened the door and they stepped into the office.

* * *

"So let me make sure I've got everything straight." Johnny said looking around the table. "We are celebrating Liz and Jason getting married, and having a baby. As well as Francis and Skye moving back to Port Charles. Man this is going to be one heck of party." He said grinning.

"We will also celebrate your baby. Since Chloe hasn't had her shower yet. This will be our own little shindig." Liz decided.

"No presents though." Chloe knew that her friends were going to be generous at her shower, so there was no need for anything now.

"Killjoy." Skye said laughing. "I planned on another day of shopping." The redhead joked.

"Shop in Port Charles." Chloe was so happy her friend was returning.

"We have other news to share." Liz said smiling at Jason.

"What's left?" Francis joked.

"Jason got us a house." Liz told their friends. They were having dinner in, and just relaxing. The kids were sitting at the table too but were busy eating.

"You snapped something up before I got my listings." Skye said to her brother. "That's not fair."

"Steven offered us Audrey's house." Jason said before sticking his tongue out at Skye. "They are moving into the Towers so you guys will be neighbors for a brief while."

"You'll like Olivia, mainly because she hates Carly." Elizabeth said with a sweet smile.

"Hell, we will be best friends." Skye couldn't stand Carly either.

The guys just kept their mouths shut about the fact that she was no longer in the city, and according to Lila would be gone for a while after everyone returned.

"It's time for dessert." Liz said picking up the plates closest to her while Francis grabbed the rest. "The hotel gave me a sampler so we can try everything they have to offer. Our party is small enough that we will just be ordering our meal from the menu." The offerings were diverse enough to appease everyone.

"How many chocolate items are there?" Johnny wanted to know. "If there is only one that could be a problem." Chloe and Liz both had an intense love of chocolate.

"Three." Liz said bringing over the large plate. "As well as a Dulce de leche, which I was happy to see because Skye loves caramel." She put everything on a serving platter and handed out utensils. "Want to come sit with me?" She asked Cameron who shook his head no.

"You may never get him back." Chloe said watching Jason spoon up some of the soft interior of the crème brulee for his son. The difference a few days made was obvious. He was fully in dad mode now.

"More mommy time for me." Liz said getting a high five from Skye. Honestly it would be nice to have a partner in parenting, someone she could count on. Jason would always be that for Cameron. This time tomorrow they would officially be a family. The hours couldn't fly by fast enough.

* * *

Thanks for the reviews!


	18. Chapter 18

ABC/DISNEY owns GH. No copyright infringement is intended.

* * *

Chapter 18

"You look radiant." Chloe said walking around Elizabeth so that she could see her friend from all sides.

"I have to agree." Skye said smiling. "That's a bold choice for a wedding dress, but you clearly know what works for you."

"I look good in green." Liz told her friends. "Jason likes me in green." She further explained as she slipped on her peep toe silver toned sandals. They were given a bit of shimmer from the stones studding the offset strap on the top. "And when you elope you get a pass on wearing the traditional white gown. We are on this gorgeous tropical island and I want that vibe during the ceremony."

"You certainly nailed it." Chloe was guessing that Elizabeth was going to be amazing to work with when it came to next year's ceremony. Her friend had a very developed sense of style combined with a knowledge of what did, and didn't work for her. At the same time Liz wasn't at all pushy or demanding. She wouldn't be a bridezilla which would be a refreshing change of pace.

The teal green dress was not only a departure from the traditional wedding look in terms of color. The overall styling of the dress wouldn't have you immediately thinking bride. It was made of chiffon and the princess seamed A-line halter dress stopped just above Elizabeth's knees leaving a lot of leg on display. The halter top showed off Liz's shoulders while the crisscrossed slim straps tied into a bow leaving a good portion of her back bared as well. This was definitely a sexy, but at the same time still sophisticated, wedding look and their friend was more than pulling it off.

"Jason sent you something." Skye said handing over the small item that Johnny handed over before he left the house.

"A brown velvet box." Liz smiled as she reached inside the gift bag. "I'm guessing jewelry."

"He did great with that ring, so let's see what he got you this time." Chloe said being unashamedly nosy.

"See you soon." Liz said reading the note before she opened the box. "Very nice." She murmured before turning the box so her friends could see the earrings nestled inside. Hook style dangling ruby earrings shined up at them.

"You don't normally wear dangling earrings." Skye noted as her friend slipped them on.

"I'm short, and I read once that woman of my stature shouldn't wear this style of jewelry." Elizabeth explained looking at herself in the mirror. Despite that article she really liked these earrings.

Chloe just huffed. "Old fashioned and extremely dated rules of fashion should be ignored. Should you wear huge chandelier earrings that brush the top of your shoulders? No. They will make you look like you don't have a neck, but you can totally rock dangling earrings. As these prove. It's just a matter of finding the right length."

"I think you struck a nerve." Skye said laughing from the bed. Chloe was frowning.

"I cannot tell you how many times a client has come to see me and spouted one of those antiquated rules in defending their position of why I need to change my design. White after Labor Day is the worst offender. Winter white exists for a reason." The designer could go off on this tangent for hours. "But that's for another day." She said stopping herself. "Now we should sit here and admire Jason's great taste."

"In woman and jewelry." Skye said to her cousin. "Does the family back home know about the wedding?"

"Lila knows." Liz stepped closer to the mirror to inspect her makeup. "Emily does not, and I think there is a good chance I may become a widow when she finds out." Elizabeth said laughing. "I kind of promised her that she could be my maid of honor when I got married again."

"She can stand up with you next year." Chloe said rubbing her tummy. The baby was kicking up a storm.

"You okay over there?" Liz said going into nurse mode.

"We are fine. Junior here is doing cartwheels." Chloe explained.

"You still saying boy?" Skye asked walking into the bathroom to get their friend some water.

"Thanks." Chloe would drink the whole glass to make her friends feel better. "I am. I don't think the universe will be cruel enough to give me a girl. I will have to lock Johnny in a closet just so she could leave for school."

"Her and the half a dozen guards he will assign to watch her." Liz nodded, she was ready to go. The guys, with the kids, had already left for the ceremony. Milo was driving the ladies over.

"Lila Rae can give your daughter tips on how to deal with that." Skye said as they headed for the door. They had gotten ready in Chloe's room so the pregnant designer didn't need to deal with steps. "Francis said that when we go home that both I and our daughter will be getting protection. I've gotten out of the habit of having a large man follow me everywhere."

"It's been years since I had a guard as well." Liz said as they headed into the kitchen to grab her bouquet. "Francis and Johnny were the ones stuck with me. I have no idea who will be assigned to watch me this go round." She should be fairly easy to keep track of once she left the hospital.

"I normally don't have a guard, but Johnny will use this as an excuse to give me one." Chloe said shrugging one shoulder.

"So no more strip clubs at lunch, huh?" Liz commented laughing.

"Nope." Chloe said with a heavy sigh. "All set?"

"I am." Liz said smiling. "We can head out."

* * *

"Milo are you assigned to anyone?" Skye asked after they all piled into the car.

"I'm Cody's back up, neither one of us is assigned as guards at the moment." Milo was guessing Cody would be going around with Jason from here on out.

"Any inside information on who will be assigned where? I'm guessing that Lila Rae and I are not getting guards from Jason's payroll." Skye observed.

"Jason and Cody usually decide the placements." Milo explained how it worked. "Johnny will probably pick your guard Mrs. O'Brien."

"He should get stuck with someone following him around all day. Then we'll see how he likes it." Chloe was in danger of a full on pout.

Milo wisely kept his mouth shut.

* * *

The ladies would be tickled to realize that the men were discussing the exact same topic. And that Johnny was already pouting. "I don't want a guard." He told Jason.

"Tough, you're getting one. I will however let you choose. You can have Cody or Milo." Jason thought that was mighty big of him.

"Why exactly am I getting a sitter?" Johnny wanted to know.

"You need to ask?" Francis jumped into the conversation.

"Seriously, are you going to be on my side in any situation?" Johnny glared at his friend. "First you threw me under the bus when we got here, and now you siding with Jason."

"I like to back winners." Francis said with a grin.

"If the kids weren't sitting right there I would call you a name and accompany that with a gesture." Johnny was going to get Francis back for this.

"You are going to be a dad, so you get a guard." Jason said stretching out his legs. They were sitting in the private room Elizabeth had reserved. The table was set for a late lunch, and they were in the sitting area while the kids played on the floor building a tower.

"So you are getting a guard too?" Johnny wanted to know.

"I'm going to take whoever you don't pick." Jason announced and both is friend's jaws dropped.

"There goes my argument." Johnny said shaking his head. That move right there showed how much Jason loved Liz. "I'll take Milo. As the boss you should have the head enforcer with you."

"Who do you want with Chloe?" Jason was going to let Johnny fight with his wife about that.

"Ritchie." Johnny had been giving it some thought for a while now.  
"I don't care who backs him up. Who are you assigning to Liz?"

"Marco. She knows him, and they will be a good fit. Chris is going to back him up. I'll have Lee back up Ritchie." Jason told Johnny who just nodded. "Max for Skye, with Kyle backing him up."

"I thought Max was with Carly?" Francis knew that Jason wanted his guys with Skye and Lila Rae in the beginning so that other families would understand the Corellis were under the Morgan Organization's protection.

"He was, but Jax has declined his continued services. I'm guessing Carly is trying to prove that she can cut ties to Port Charles. She left Max here when she flew to Sydney." Jason filled in the gaps. "Max can blend in well in the private sector, which will be a benefit to Skye when she returns to work."

"Any clue what you guys will be doing?" Johnny asked his friend.

"Not at the moment. There's no rush. I can afford to take my time until I find the right job." Francis was a man of many talents. He spoke four languages, and had several college degrees. He just needed something that would hold his interests. "Skye will probably find something before I do. Free time will allow me to oversee the construction at the house." He and his lovely wife had spent the morning signing papers to make Kate's former estate their new home. Skye would do a walk through and start making a list of what needed to be changed at some point after they returned to Port Charles.

The door opened and Milo stuck his head in. "The ladies are in the restroom." He didn't know why, the ride hadn't been that long. However he was smart enough to not question it.

"Okay." Jason said smiling wide as he got to his feet. He walked over and picked up his son. "Ready to get married, buddy?"

"Kay." Cameron answered grinning because his friend was happy.

"That's the only blessing you need." Johnny said laughing. "I'll go get the judge." He was outside going over the ceremony.

"She's a good woman. Better than you deserve." Francis said getting serious. "Remember that and you will be fine."

Jason nodded and waited for his heart to walk through the door.

* * *

"Hello Grandmother." Emily said flopping down on the couch. "How are you this afternoon?"

"Wonderful." Lila was beaming as the tea cart was rolled in. "We haven't had a chance to talk much recently."

"I know. I'm sorry about that. Dad will be home tomorrow and things will inch closer to normal." Emily commented as she poured them both tea. "I need some normal more than I can say."

"I think we all do." Lila said nodding. "You also need to get back into the dating pool." The older woman was worried Emily was hiding from life.

"Wow, are you having me watched?" Emily said laughing. "I have a date Friday night."

"Do tell." Lila wondered how she had missed that. Keeping up with Carly consumed too much of her time. "With whom?"

"Detective Dante Falconeri." Emily told her grandmother. "We had coffee the night dad had his heart attack. Dante drove me home after. It was a bleak night, but that hour was really nice. He felt it too, so we are going out. It probably seems soon because of Lulu just dying."

"Not at all. They weren't happy." Lila stated bluntly. "That relationship was already dead. The two of you are not hurting anyone, I must say well done. He is a hottie!"

Emily just had to laugh, while some would be surprised she was used to this side of her grandmother. "Do I need to worry about you stealing him?"

"I'm irresistible, so there is that risk." Lila said smiling wider.

Emily just shook her head. "Shameless." She popped a pastry into her mouth. "So have I missed anything juicy while I was at the hospital? I know about Carly and Kate. It might be wrong but I was hoping Carly would lose that one."

"Carly had no business sticking her nose in that situation, which of course didn't stop her." Lila had spoken to Jane just this morning. Carly was acting like the perfect wife and mother. Too bad it was too late.

"Anything else?" Emily was trying decide which tea sandwich to try.

"Jason and Elizabeth are getting married." Lila looked at the clock. "Right now."

Emily just looked at the older woman. While it could sometimes be hard to know if she was joking, the earnestness in her eyes said this was true. "I'm sorry, what?"

"Your brother and your best friend are getting married." Lila repeated. "Don't tell your parents. Jason wants to do that himself." They would both know why. "But he said I could tell you. Skye and Francis are also moving back home. So next week is going to be busy as they all return."

Emily put down her tea cup. She took a minute but a slow smile began to form on her face. "I want to be there when Carly finds out." She would deal with Jason and Liz when they got home.

Lila just smiled thinking she had been. "Pour some more tea and I'll share with you what details I know."

* * *

They opted to not have attendants, but their friends stood in small semi-circle around them as the judge began the ceremony. Off to the side the photographer snapped away making sure not to block the camera that was taking video. Jason was looking at Elizabeth in her beautiful green dress, a color he knew was picked with him in mind, and thought she never looked more beautiful inside and out. She was looking at him thinking he was the best man in the world. They both had hearts filled with love.

The vows were ones that had been repeated through the ages by lovers who were binding their hearts as one. Promises were recited, rings were exchanged, and when the last words of the ceremony were spoken a sweet kiss was exchanged.

"Ladies and gentleman, I present to you Jason and Elizabeth Morgan. May their lives be blessed with joy, peace, and love." The judge intoned.

Jason leaned forward and kissed his wife again. "I love you."

"I love you too." Liz said softly. This was the first day of the rest of their lives. It started just the way it should, with their hands linked and surrounded by those that loved them.

* * *

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	19. Chapter 19

ABC/DISNEY owns GH. No copyright infringement is intended.

Not Safe For Work

* * *

Chapter 19

"I just realized that we are all legally family now." Chloe said looking around the table at her cousins.

"That for better or for worse is gonna kick in sooner than you think." Skye said with a smirk. "That first dinner around the Quartermaine table can be a shocker. I was ready to run screaming into the night after my first meal in the house."

"I've been through my share of Quartermaine dinners." Liz said with a shrug. "Watching Edward fight with Tracy remains one of the highlights. Although I'm guessing I won't get a pass on staying out of the arguments now that I'm Jason's wife." Honestly they wouldn't eat that many meals at the estate.

"I don't see us eating many meals there. Lila doesn't expect me to show up more than once a month." Jason grinned unknowingly echoing his wife's thoughts, and then kept going. "Johnny and Chloe do most of the heavy lifting."

"That's because they are the only couple where Monica likes both halves." Francis pointed out. He wasn't planning on many meals at the mansion either.

"You guys are welcome to eat at our place anytime you like." Liz extended the invitation. She would love to have boisterous family meals. "I think we should plan on getting together once a week." Her side of the family would be welcome too.

"We can rotate houses." Chloe really liked that idea. Like Liz she hadn't grown up with a close sense of family.

"We need to make sure Emily knows so that she can escape the mansion once in a while." Skye was looking forward to the dinners. "I need to call her and tell her we are coming home."

"I need to call and tell her I got married." Elizabeth said laughing. "My phone is dead." She hadn't even bothered to see if anyone had a charger she could borrow. She was enjoying this time away too much. Real life would happen soon enough. "I'm going to hide behind Jason when the plane lands."

"That's fine, I'm going to hide behind Cameron." The groom said laughing. "Em knows, grandmother broke the news." Jason told Elizabeth.

"Good. Although I expect Em to have a good pout going when we arrive." Liz said laughing.

"Using your child as a human shield you should be ashamed of yourself." Johnny said shaking his head.

"I can hide behind you." Jason offered.

"Emily is scary when she's mad, so Cameron is definitely the way to go." The Irishman said changing his opinion. "I talked to Cody, he said she has a date with Dante coming up."

"Emily and Dante?" Liz said smiling. "I like that pairing. Lulu was completely wrong for him."

"Nikolas was wrong for Em." Chloe added her two cents. "I know he's your friend Liz, but they really shouldn't have gotten married."

"He is my friend, and you are right. After they broke up over Gia, they should have stayed apart. Both she and I made the mistake of trying to recapture something that should have stayed dead." Liz said being honest.

"I think we've all made that mistake." Jason said covering his wife's hand. He had tried too hard with Courtney when it was clear they had run their course. "What matters is that we got it right in the end." He had no doubt this was his last marriage, and the only one that truly mattered.

"Look at you being all suave." Johnny said raising his glass. "To The Morgans, may Liz be patient because Jason isn't always the sharpest tool in the shed." He laughed and then dodged the napkins that were thrown his way.

"I am your boss." Jason pointed out.

"I'm counting on Francis hiring me after you fire me." Johnny told them his plan.

"I may just stay retired." Francis told his friend.

"Please, Skye isn't going to support you. You're too high maintenance." Johnny knew whatever Francis chose to do he would excel at it.

"He's right. Your tailoring bill alone will bankrupt us if you don't get a job." Skye said smiling at her hubby.

"I'll give you a discount Francis." Chloe already dressed Jason, and Francis would be another stellar client to add to her list. Of course her husband was the best model she could ask for in terms of selling her men's line of clothing. Johnny looked good in everything he put on.

"See now I can just lounge around the pool in Chloe's clothes looking pretty." Francis teased his wife.

"Uh huh." Was all Skye said as she reached for her glass of sparkling water. "To the happy couple. Keep Jason far away from Francis and Johnny and you'll be much happier."

"Here here!" Chloe echoed her friend while the guys all frowned. She had a feeling that the three ladies were going to keep their menfolk on their toes.

"We are in trouble." Johnny said while Jason and Francis both nodded. "There is no way we will be able to keep up with them, especially once they add Em to their network of evil."

"Its good thing they will have guards." Jason had no intention of trying to get away from the gorgeous creature he had just married.

"On that note, we should go." Chloe said getting to her feet. She was going to put that talk off for as long as possible. "Come on Cameron." They were taking him back to the estate so that the newlyweds could have the night to themselves.

"I picked up those movies with the little yellow minions." Johnny grinned.

"You wanted to have kid just for the movies didn't you?" Francis said picking up Lila Rae.

"And the toys. Don't forget the toys." Johnny said as Cameron jumped on his back for a piggy back ride. "Behave you two." He said with lecherous grin.

"It's their wedding night. That won't happen." Skye added, then laughed when Liz blushed bright. "Night, and congratulations."

"Yes congratulations." Chloe was smiling wide as she followed the group out of the room.

"It's just us." Jason said kissing his wife's knuckles. He really liked that he could call her his wife. "Would you like to go to the hotel now, or would you like to take a driving tour of the island?" He knew what he wanted.

"Hotel." Liz said with a slow smile. "You can show me the island later, or the next time we come. Either one is fine." She already knew they would visit again.

"Good call." Jason got up and held out his hand. "Let's go."

* * *

"This is a lovely room." Elizabeth said walking into the resort's honeymoon suite. "Look at that view." From the window the Atlantic Ocean was spread out in front of her.

"I am." Jason said coming over and wrapping her in his arms. "I've never seen anything more beautiful." He said kissing the side of her neck. When Elizabeth tilted her head he got the hint and kept going. Letting his lips move up to the sensitive skin behind her ear. "You smell amazing."

"It's my…hmm…that's a great spot." Liz said practically purring. The way her husband made her feel was beyond anything she had ever experienced. He was the only one who could pull these emotions from her.

"I like that spot too." Jason said in a husky whisper. "And this spot." He said kissing her neck again. "And this spot." His lips brushed over her shoulder. "I should probably make a list of all the spots I like, just so I don't forget." Standing up again he unzipped her dress and slipped the halter top over her neck as he turned her to face him. The dress slid down her body and he hummed deep in his chest. "Beautiful." She was in barely there wisps of underwear and her heels.

Liz had to smile at that. "Are you going to show some skin too?"

"Absolutely." Jason said pushing off his jacket and unbuttoning his shirt. His tie had been ditched before their lunch started. While she watched he stripped down to his underwear, and for some reason it felt incredibly erotic to do so.

"Your body is a-ma-zing." She strung out the syllables of the word. "And it's all mine."

"I like it when you get possessive." Jason said reaching out and with a hand on her hip urged her closer until their bodies touched. "When are you going to start showing." He couldn't wait to watch her grow with their child.

"Right around the four month mark." Liz said letting her hands roam his body.

"I'm excited about that." Jason said before giving her a soft kiss. "Something to look forward to. You know what else I'm looking forward to?"

"No." Elizabeth could guess though. She put her arms around his neck as she looked up at him. "Why don't you tell me?"

"How about I show you instead?" Jason said with a wicked grin before scooping his wife up and heading into the bedroom. He placed her gently on the bed and stretched out beside her before taking her mouth in a slow kiss.

Elizabeth shifted until they were once again touching the lengths of their bodies. She let her hands roam over his skin enjoying the fact that for the rest of her life she would have this pleasure. "I love you." She said when they parted. "For all of my life I will love you."

"I love you too baby. So many times we came close and after the last time I resigned myself to just being your friend. To you being the woman I wanted but never got to be with." Jason shared with her. She nodded and he knew that she got it. "Then this summer happened."

She smiled at him. "We found a way to reconnect on a deeper level and then that wonderful night we created our child happened. After which we screwed things up once more."

"I screwed things up." Jason said letting his hand slide down her back. "But you have to admit I apologize well."

"Yes you do." Elizabeth ran her fingers through his hair and urge his mouth his to hers. "In the future I'm sorry will work." She told him breathlessly.

"In the future, I'm not going to mess up this badly." He promised before kissing her once more and ending the conversation.

His fingers drifted down the length of her back, and she shivered in delight against him. His lips captured an already peaked nipple sucking gently. Elizabeth was sensitive due to the hormones in her system and he didn't want to hurt her.

"Oh yes!" Liz said arching hard. That was the most incredible feeling. Foreplay during her pregnancy was going to be very enjoyable.

"Can you come from just this?" Jason wanted to know as he switched breasts.

"I…don't…oh god!" Elizabeth said as her eyes rolled back in her head. The man was going to kill her at this rate. "Please!" She was so close.

He switched back to the first breast sucking harder before lifting his head and blowing a stream of air across the nipple. His free hand was gently tugging on the other nipple doubling the stimulation she was receiving. The most beautiful flush spread over her skin before her body bucked hard against his and she moaned.

Jason gave a feral smile. Elizabeth had been very open and responsive during their shared night this past summer. And she hadn't held back when they made love the other night, but those times had been quick. Now he was seeing the effect those hormones were having on her and he was thinking that they were going to have very good time until the doctor said no more sex.

"Wow." Liz said slowly opening her eyes. "I've never felt anything like that before." She was breathing hard.

"Want to feel it again?" Jason would have no problem making that happen.

"I think it's time you got some attention." She said letting her nails lightly score his skin as her hand moved down his chest, over his abs to cup his hard on. "I think you could use it." And she needed a bit to level off.

Rolling to her side she kissed the hollow of his throat before letting her lips cover the same territory as her fingers just had. "Lift up." She commanded her hands on the waistband of his boxer briefs. When he did she pulled the snug material down freeing his engorged shaft. "That night we were together we did a lot of things." She said wrapping her hand around him. "But there are a few things we missed." She said stroking slowly.

"That feels so good." Jason said starting to tremble some.

Elizabeth gave him a seductive smile. "I like making you feel good." She told him before dipping her head and taking him into the heat of her mouth.

"Oh fuck!" Jason gripped the blankets and told himself to stay in control. To not come right away when that was exactly what he wanted do. Her lips felt like paradise on his overheated flesh. When she swiped her tongue across the tip of his cock before dipping into the weeping slit his hips bucked involuntarily. "You okay?" He managed to get out, chocking her was the last thing he wanted to do.

"Fine." She said letting him slip free before gently sucking on the side of his shaft. Not hard enough to leave a mark, but with enough suction that he could feel it. She moved her lips to a different spot before repeating the action. When he swore again she allowed him back in her mouth and tightening the ring of her lips hummed.

"Up." Jason said lifting her and rolling her underneath him. "I need to be inside you this instant." He was working with a hair trigger after her treatment and he wanted her to come again. Her panties were pushed out of the way and he lined them up before sinking into her. "You are so wet." He groaned.

"Because of you." Elizabeth let him know.

Without another word they linked fingers and began to rock together. Long slow strokes gave way to shorter faster ones. Their breath came faster and their heart rates increased until their bodies simply couldn't take anymore. Couldn't hold off the explosions of bliss. Elizabeth fell first shouting his name and Jason followed yelling hers. He collapsed on the bed next to her and pulled her into his body. "Okay?"

"Fantastic." Elizabeth could feel his heart thundering in time with hers. "I'm going to go to sleep." She could already feel herself nodding off. "This will be common after sex." Which he should know after the other time they were together.

"I like thinking I wore you out." Jason laughed knowing that it wasn't him, just her body resting.

"That you did." Elizabeth said snuggling closer and passing out.

Jason waited until she was sleeping deeply before reaching over and calling downstairs. He placed an order for something light to be delivered to their room in a few hours. With them having a late lunch his wife would only need a snack before they called it a night. With that done he wrapped his girl up tight and let himself have a nap as well.

* * *

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	20. Chapter 20

ABC/DISNEY owns GH. No copyright infringement is intended.

* * *

Chapter 20

Emily was standing in the foyer of the mansion waiting for the front door to open. This morning her dad had come home and he was upstairs sleeping. In a few minutes her two sisters were going to be here as well. This could seriously be one of the best days ever.

Alice walked by Emily and grinned. It was good to see the younger woman smiling. "They are parking now." The maid enjoyed moments when the family was happy. When the Qs were in disagreement it got ugly pretty quickly. They went right for one another's jugulars. The only fly in the ointment right now was Dr. Monica and Alice was guessing Mr. Jason was going to nip that behavior in the bud where Mrs. Elizabeth was concerned. Hopefully Dr. Alan would follow his son's example with Mrs. Skye.

"Hi!" Emily said smiling wide as she opened her arms.

"Hi." Skye said embracing her little sister in a great big hug. Coming to Port Charles to find her father had been terrifying for Skye even though she did her best not to show that. From the beginning Emily had been welcoming and happy to have her here. Her little sister alone made the move worthwhile. "I have missed you."

"I've missed you too." Emily said blinking back tears. They Skyped at least once a week but it just wasn't the same. "Where is my niece?"

"Right here." Francis said coming through the door.

"She's so big." Emily walked over and gave the little girl a kiss. "I can't wait for my first invitation to a tea party." Skye said her daughter had them regularly. "Where are you guys staying?"

"Penthouse two for now, and you are welcome to visit any time you like." Skye wanted her sister to know. "We bought Kate's house and will be moving in after a few changes are made."

"That house is lovely. At least from the outside." Emily said clapping. "Dad is upstairs if you want to go visit."

"Is Monica with him?" Skye asked first.

"No, she's at the hospital." Emily thought her mother was hiding from Jason. "So the coast is clear." She wanted to tell her sister that last night their father had told Monica her behavior towards Skye was no longer acceptable. Something in his tone made Emily believe he intended to make sure Monica listened this time.

"I'll go up and see if he's awake." Skye said heading for the stairs.

"I'll show you which room Mrs. Skye." Alice said following the younger woman up the steps.

"Grandmother is in the parlor." Emily told Francis who nodded and headed deeper into the house. "Welcome home!"

"Thanks." Chloe said waddling into the warm interior. "It has gotten cold."

"I ordered this weather just for you, don't you like it?" Emily said being a smartass. The first truly frigid front had moved into the area yesterday. Hopefully the weather would warm up in time for trick or treating.

"Ha ha." Chloe said getting a hug while Johnny hung up their coats. "Where is Lila?"

"Parlor." Emily said getting a hug and a kiss to the check from Johnny. "How is she?"

"Cranky." Johnny said grinning. "Liz has been keeping an eye out."

Emily just nodded, she was going to resist the urge to hover. Chloe had a wicked throwing arm. "When is her next appointment?"

"Two weeks." Johnny passed along. That should have been the week after they returned from vacation. Jason had promised his friend that this week no one would call so that they could finish up their time off.

Emily nodded to her cousin. "Go in, you don't want to be out here for what is coming."

Johnny just snorted. Actually he did, but headed for the parlor anyway.

Jason walked in holding Liz's hand in his and Emily leveled her best glare at them. Her brother gave her a grin and Liz was trying not to laugh. So not what the situation called for. They could at least look a bit repentant. "You have something to tell me?" The young doctor wanted to know.

"We got married." Jason said smiling wider.

Emily sniffed in mock annoyance. "Congratulations. Give me my nephew." Just saying that gave her a thrill. Cameron was already her godson, and this was just icing on the cake.

"You better hand him over before she hurts us." Elizabeth told her husband as she took Cameron's coat off.

"Listen to your wife." Emily said not cutting them any slack.

"We got you a souvenir." Jason said holding out the bag.

Emily took it and dug through the tissue paper pulling out a thermal mug. "World's Best Aunt." Was emblazoned on one side, and on the other was a picture of Cameron and Lila Rae. "Okay, you're forgiven." She said smiling wide. "We're sisters now!"

"I know." Liz said hugging her best friend tight. "We recorded the ceremony, and next year we are having something bigger. You'll be my maid of honor right?"

"Of course." Emily said as she picked up Cameron who ran over. "You look stunning."

"Thanks." Liz loved this sheath style green wrap dress. It was a versatile look that would never go out of fashion. She paired it with cutout heels, and another pair of dangling earrings that she picked up on the island. The diamond hearts had called to her when she saw them.

"Let me see the ring." Emily shifted Cameron to her hip as Liz held out her hand. "Very nice. Grandmother is waiting for us in the parlor with snacks. We can look at the wedding footage in there."

"'Are mom and dad home?" Jason wanted to know.

"Dad is upstairs." Emily told him. "Skye is visiting." Since their sister hadn't come back down yet that meant their dad was awake. "Mom is at the hospital catching up."

"Steven must be relived." Liz said as they headed to the parlor. Jason was behind them, he would go upstairs when Skye was done.

"Not exactly, there have been some changes in your absence." Emily handed Cameron back to his dad and Jason entered the parlor. "Steven is still in charge, and it's going to stay that way."

"My brother is the Chief of Staff. Officially?" Liz asked gob smacked. "Alan is retiring?"

"He is. Dad made it official the day before he was discharged. Right now he is just going to work on getting healthy. There is talk of him joining the staff of PCU when Leo says it's okay to go back to work." Emily thought that would be a good move for her father.

"Why wasn't Monica promoted?" Liz wanted to know. That would be the expected move.

"Off the record it's because she has been unprofessional in her dealings with the staff over the past few months." Emily told Liz. "The official reason given was that Monica didn't want the job."

"Monica wasn't promoted because of how she was treating me?" Liz asked stunned once again. "I'm leaving the hospital so that move wasn't necessary." She couldn't help the guilt that was setting in.

"Did you forget who sits at the head of the hospital board?" Emily said grinning.

"Lila does." Liz said quietly.

"Yeah, and grandmother gave my mom a chance to save face by turning the job down. They had a really long talk in grandmother's office the day Alan served notice." Emily passed along. Honestly she thought this move was for the best. Her mother needed to pay for her behavior. "Why are you leaving? After that I have news to share too."

Elizabeth smiled slowly. "I've decided to stay home with our children."

"Cameron is going to have siblings." Emily liked the sound of that. She smiled and then took a closer look at the gleam in her newly minted sister's eyes. "No."

"Yeah." Liz said laughing.

"Oh my god!" Emily yelled before doing a happy dance. "I'm gonna be an aunt again! I'm seriously going to sit the two of you down to discuss keeping secrets."

"I'm not twelve weeks yet." Liz explained and watched Em nod.

"I will keep quiet then." Emily said hugging Liz. "Everything is good?"

"Everything is good." Liz promised. "What's your news?"

"I'm leaving the surgical program." Emily dropped her bombshell.

"I'm never leaving Port Charles again." Liz was stunned for a third time in under ten minutes. "Why?"

"I don't want to be a surgeon. I never wanted to be a surgeon." Emily confessed. "My parents wanted that for me, and I caved to their pressure. I'm going to follow my dream. I'm going to specialize in hematology and oncology."

"Emily you will be amazing at that." Liz was happy for her friend.

"I will. I officially start my new residency in January. It's a good thing that all interns work the same program at General Hospital so I don't have to take the boards again." Emily explained how this would work. "The hours are a lot better too so I'll have more time to prove that I am the world's best aunt." She said grinning.

"I just want you to be happy." Liz told her friend.

"I am. I'm also dating. Well I had one date. With Dante." Emily knew they had to go into the parlor, everyone was waiting for them, but she also wanted this small bit of private time.

"Are you off this weekend?" Liz wanted to know.

"I am." Emily said nodding, with her leaving the surgical program there was no need for evening and weekend hours right now.

"Good, you can come over to the house for some girl time." Liz said sharing the last bit of her news. "We are moving into my grandmother's house."

"You love that house." Emily said linking her arm with Liz's as they got moving again. "Our lives are taking shape in the best possible way."

"They are." Liz agreed as they walked into the parlor.

* * *

They had a wonderful afternoon. Johnny and Chloe left first because she was having trouble keeping her eyes open. Traveling had left the designer dragging. She was going to sleep well tonight. Jason was the next to leave, he started by going to visit Alan and then heading over to hospital to track down his mother. Then he would met with John. Jason would talk with his grandmother about business tomorrow. Liz left next because Cameron was starting to flag. Lila Rae was nodding off too, and Emily offered to take the little girl upstairs for a nap because their grandmother wanted to talk to Skye and Francis.

"I'm so happy that the two of you are returning home. You have been missed." Lila said starting the conversation.

"We missed it here too, especially the family." Skye said sipping her tea.

"Your timing is very good for me in particular." Lila said getting down to business. She imagined the younger couple was ready to go home and start getting settled.

"Did you need something?" Francis wanted to know.

"Yes." Lila said smiling. "I need the two of you to come work for me." She laughed at the identical expressions of surprise they were wearing. "I have asked around and neither one of you has a job yet, so I thought I would use this time to get my bid in first."

"What were you thinking?" Francis hadn't expected this.

"Let's start with you Francis. Ned is ready to get back to his real job." Her grandson's tenure as ELQ's CEO was always intended to be temporary. Lila had been on the hunt for his replacement for months now, because giving the business to Tracy wasn't going to happen. Edward had been correct about their daughter being unsuited to run things. "I'd like you to take the position."

"You want me to run ELQ?" Francis said looking at his wife. They would need to discuss this later.

"You are more than qualified and the company would be in great hands. I like the thought of a family member in control." Lila explained why she was making the offer.

"Skye and I will need to talk about it." Francis stated. "Can I ask why you aren't offering the position to my wife?" Who was just as capable as he was.

"Because I want Skye to take over running my company." Lila told them.

"I was thinking of part time work. Your relish company is extremely successful and needs a full time CEO." Skye told Lila.

The older woman hoped that meant they were considering more children. "I would be willing to discuss running the company together until you want to take over full time. Or until you decide that this isn't right for you." Lila had to consider that as well.

"We will have a lot to talk about tonight." Skye said laughing. "Thank you for the offers." Lila's trust meant a lot to both of them.

"I can't have two of the brightest minds in Port Charles working for someone else. Skye I would also like for you to consider taking my seat on the hospital board when I'm ready to retire. More than likely next year." Lila put that out there as well.

"Liz would probably be a better choice for that." Skye didn't want to be Monica's boss.

"With Steven accepting the position of Chief of Staff, Liz might not want to take my seat." Lila said thinking out loud. "However she would be a marvelous fit." She was going to have to see if she could convince the young mother of that. Liz had mentioned that she would be serving notice when she returned to work, so this might appeal to her.

"Ask her, and if she says no I will consider it." Skye told her grandmother. "What is happening with your charitable foundation?"

"Chloe has been overseeing that as my co-chair since September." Lila told them. They hadn't made a big fuss over the change because Chloe had been involved with the foundation since moving to Port Charles. "I am hoping that when I retire Emily will fill that vacancy." Her youngest granddaughter very much enjoyed doing good work for the community. "I've held you up enough. Go wrestle your daughter from Emily." Lila said laughing.

"We will have answers for you in a few days." Francis said standing up and placing a kiss on Lila's cheek.

"That will be fine." Lila said smiling at him. He was a good addition to the family.

"I'll be back tomorrow for tea." Skye figured Chloe would be joining them.

"Lovely." Lila said smiling. Having more of her family close would be wonderful. Now she would go to her office and get some work done because tomorrow morning was set aside for Jason.

* * *

Thanks for the reviews!


	21. Chapter 21

ABC/DISNEY owns GH. No copyright infringement is intended.

* * *

Chapter 21

Jason knocked on the door to his mother's office and waited for her to look up before entering. Since what they were going to discuss was private he closed the door behind him before taking a seat. "Hello."

"Jason, welcome home. Lila said that you were out of town." Monica put down her pen and leaned back in her chair.

"We got in this morning and went right out to the house." He told her. "I had a visit with dad." Since waking up from his coma his relationship with the family had been a tumultuous one. With more years of them not speaking than years where they were happy with each other. Right now things were good, but Jason was wondering if the pendulum was about to swing in the other direction.

"We?" Monica wanted to know. She assumed Jason had gone away to come to terms with Sam's death.

"Elizabeth and I." Jason would leave everyone else out of this. "We got married a few days ago and wanted to have a visit with Lila."

"You married Elizabeth?" Monica asked confused. "Why?"

"I never got back together with Sam." Jason told his mother. "If you had bothered to ask me, I could have told you that. Instead you simply swallowed every lie Sam told you." He said before stopping and getting his temper under control. "Even if I had reconciled with Sam that would not have excused your behavior towards Elizabeth, who has always been my friend." He pointed out. "Would you like to explain to me why you've been acting like you have, because this is your one shot at keeping me from walking away for good. From you, not the rest of the family." He wanted that clear.

"Sam said that Elizabeth was trying to break the two of you up." Monica said quietly. Jason was right, she hadn't bothered to confirm the story she was given.

"Considering that I spent the entire summer not speaking to Sam, why would you believe her?" Jason wanted to know.

"Your father and I have been down that same path more times than I care to admit. I just figured the two of you were still in the process of working things out, and Elizabeth wasn't happy about that. Liz has been in love with you for years." Monica saw that she had surprised her son with her observations. "I thought she wasn't taking losing well."

Jason just looked at his mother. "Are you going to admit that you wanted me with Sam because she was willing to make sure that you stayed front and center in my life while Elizabeth supports my view of what our relationship should look like? Or did you think I didn't pick up on that?" It was his turn to surprise his mother. "We were doing fine, I'm happy to have you and dad back in my life. If you want more time with me then I'm the one you need to talk with. Not Sam and not Elizabeth."

"I'm sorry." Monica knew he was right.

"Thank you. You also owe Elizabeth an apology. There will be no relationship between us if you don't give her one. If you put me in a position of having to choose, you will lose." Jason said making his stance clear.

"You're right I do owe Liz an apology." Monica said nodding. "My behavior has cost me enough." She should be the Chief of Staff, but understood why she wasn't. The only person she could blame was the one looking back at her from the mirror. "Congratulations, please tell her I said that."

"You can tell herself." Jason said standing up. His wife and his mother getting along really was the goal. So he would push Monica to reach out to her new daughter in-law. "She will be back to work tomorrow."

"I will look for her." Monica could only hope that Liz accepted the apology. At the moment the nurse was the one who would decide if they could have a relationship or not.

"Good." Jason said looking at his mother. "Skye has also returned home." He told her. "I told Francis I would stay out of that, but I think you already know what I would say."

"The same thing that Emily has been saying. The same thing your father said last night." Monica had been screwing up royally lately. "I forgave Alan, but still blame Skye for something she didn't even have a say in. I need to do better."

"Hopefully you will." Jason walked around the desk and gave his mother a kiss on the cheek. "I'll see you later." He told her before walking out of the office.

Alone Monica gave some thought to what her son had said before getting to her feet, grabbing her coat, and heading out of her office.

* * *

Monica had to end up calling Emily to find Liz. A stop at the address where she lived before the marriage revealed it was now empty. Liz's neighbor was coming home and she told the surgeon that a truck came for everything last week.

Now she was parking in front of Audrey's home. Since Monica didn't see Jason living with Steven her Chief of Staff must have moved as well. Taking a deep breath she got out of the car and grabbed two of the gifts from the back seat. Hopefully the guard standing at the door would help bring everything else inside. She rang the doorbell and waited.

"Monica." Elizabeth said surprised to find her mother in-law standing in front of her. "Jason isn't in."

"I actually came to see you. May I come in?" Monica wanted to know.

"Uh, sure." Elizabeth said stepping back to let the other woman in. "May I take your coat?"

"Thank you." Monica put down her packages and took off her outerwear.

"Would you like some coffee?" Elizabeth couldn't figure out why Monica would come here to see her. They weren't even talking before Liz married Jason.

"No, thank you." Monica said looking around, it had been years since she had been in this house. It was always a loving and warm space.

"Come into the living room." Elizabeth said to her mother in-law. "Cameron is still napping, he'll be done soon."

"That will give us time to talk." Monica said taking a seat. "I brought him some gifts."

"Thank you." Elizabeth would look in the bags later.

"I owe you an apology." Monica started. "I had no right to treat you the way I have been. That behavior will not continue."

"Thank you. I'm willing to put that behind us." Elizabeth knew that holding a grudge would only hurt them all in the end. She also knew that if they weren't getting along it would make Jason walk away from his mother.

"Just like that?" Monica asked surprised.

"I'm not saying how you treated me didn't hurt. Particularly when we were at the hospital. You disrespected me in front of my colleagues." Elizabeth said looking at the older woman. "I'm saying I'm not going to hold a grudge."

"That's very gracious of you." Monica said feeling really small.

"I love your son." Elizabeth made it clear that Jason was why she was willing to let this go. "You love him too. Us fighting will hurt him in the end."

"Is there a chance we can be friends?" Monica wanted to know.

"I like to think so. You are my son's grandmother, and it's important that he sees us having a healthy relationship. It's going to take work, from both of us, but I think we will get there eventually." Elizabeth explained her thinking.

"Congratulations on the wedding." Monica said relaxing some. She didn't think that this one meeting was going to make everything okay. She would have to prove to both her son and new daughter in-law that there would be no more bad behavior. "Did you take pictures?"

"We did. We also videotaped the ceremony. We showed that to Lila and Emily earlier today." Elizabeth said reaching for the wedding album. The photographer had gotten them the photos in record time. "I can send it to you in an email if you like."

"I would like that. I can watch it with Alan." Monica thought that would be a wonderful way to pass some time this evening. "Unless he saw it earlier."

"No, he hasn't seen it yet." Elizabeth hadn't even gone up to see her father in-law letting Skye and Jason have that time before Alan fell asleep. "It's time for me to get Cameron, why don't you stay and have a visit with him as well." Elizabeth offered.

"I'd like that. Thank you." Monica said opening the cover of the album to get a glimpse of the wedding.

* * *

"Hi." John said opening the door to his penthouse. "Come in. Welcome home."

"Thank you." Jason said following the younger man into the apartment. "Is Georgie around?"

"Not at the moment, she should be here in about an hour or so." John said heading into the kitchen. "Want some coffee?"

"No, I'm good." Jason waited while John got the brew going. "I wanted to stop by and check that you are okay."

"I am." John leaned against his counter and looked at the mob boss. "I wasn't kidding when I told Cody that. This day has been coming for years. I didn't see Carly being the one to kill Claudia, but in a warped kind of way it makes sense. They were basically the same person and it shouldn't surprise me that someone just like my sister took her out. Cody offered me Claudia's ashes, which was a classy move." John commented. "Georgie and I spread them up on the shoulder of the cliff road." He didn't want them in his house. Didn't want his sister's toxic energy lingering.

"Do you really think your sister would have gone after Georgie?" Jason got that John was more upset about what his sister had become than about her death. Which was a really sad statement and one he understood. Jason felt the same way when AJ died.

"I know she would have. She wouldn't have been able to resist. Before my father lost his territory Claudia was ready to do me in to prevent me from getting it." John said shrugging.

"Really?" Jason hadn't known that.

"Really." John poured himself a cup of coffee. "She would have eventually gone after Georgie because Claudia would think my girlfriend was the reason I didn't want to be your number two man."

"I already have a number two man." Jason pointed out.

"In Claudia's mind she was going to marry you, and I was going to replace O'Brien. I'm sure that part of her plan also included offing you at some point because her ultimate goal was to run her own territory." John told Jason. "I did mention, several times, that you were not going to marry her. Now do you see why I'm in therapy?"

"I am sorry it ended the way it did." Jason said to the younger man.

"You can make it up to me by letting me know what happens with Carly." John said with a smirk. "There is no way she's going to be able to stay away from you for long."

"That can be arranged. Do you want us to pull Georgie's guard?" Jason knew that Cody hadn't done so yet.

"Yes, and thank you for that." John said sipping his coffee. "Who did you marry?" The ring on Jason's finger was pretty obvious.

"Elizabeth." Jason said smiling. John would know Elizabeth because she and Georgie were friends.

"How did I miss that?" John asked shaking his head before extending his hand. "Congrats." He would need to tell Georgie and they could go pick up a gift.

"Thanks." Jason said smiling wider. "I need to get home, if you need anything you know where my office is."

"Yours, O'Brien's, and Paul's." John said walking his visitor to the door. After locking up he walked to the glass door of his terrace and looked across Port Charles. He was already planning on talking to his therapist about the fact that Claudia's death felt like he had been given a reprieve from a death sentence. Like for the first time in his life he was really free from the curse of being a Zacchara. Life was starting anew, and John was ready for that.

* * *

Jason locked the door to the house and turned around in enough time to scoop up Cameron who had come running down the hall to greet him. If that sight didn't fill his heart with joy nothing would, being a dad was going to great. "Where's mommy?"

Cameron pointed down the hall to the great room.

"Let's go see what she is doing." Jason said not putting the little boy down.

"Kay." Cameron said grinning.

"Hey babe." Jason had a smile to match his son's when he walked into the living room. "You went shopping?" His wife was sitting next to a small car.

"No." Elizabeth said getting to her feet. She had changed into blue jeans for this project. "Monica stopped by, this is one of her peace offerings." Liz said grinning. "I have been eyeing one of these up for Cameron for a while so I think your mom got some help from Emily. I hadn't gotten it yet because it's pricey."

"There aren't any pedals." Jason noted putting Cameron down. The little boy went over and when his mom opened the small door sat inside the car.

"At this age it's a push toy. It comes with pedals that you can add as your child grows. By his next birthday Cameron will be ready for them." Liz would store them until then. "Before I let him take it out, will you make sure all the screws are tight please?"

"Sure thing." Jason took the screwdriver, he could do that right now. "How did the visit go?"

"Good. A little awkward. Monica apologized, I accepted. She wasn't given the Chief of Staff position at the hospital because of me." Liz said still feeling guilty.

"Monica didn't get it because of her behavior." Jason told his wife. "That isn't on you."

"I didn't tell her about the baby just yet. I thought we should do that together." Liz said sitting on the arm of the couch watching Jason. Between checking the screws he was making faces at Cameron and that had their son laughing.

"We can tell her and Alan at the same time." Jason thought that would be nice. "All done, you did good. You said one of Monica's peace offerings, what else did she bring?"

"Several things, including that." Elizabeth pointed to the corner of the room.

"That's a huge box." He said walking over. "Super art table. It says for three and up." Jason read frowning.

"It will be fine." Liz said laughing at how protective he was being. "The rating is because it's comes with benches that don't have backs. I'll just get a couple of small chairs and it will be perfect for Cameron and Lila Rae to play at." They had tables like this at the hospital daycare and they served multiple uses. From snack table, to puzzle stations, and art centers.

"Where are you going to put the table?" Jason wanted to know.

"I figured in here, since we will spend the majority of our time as a family in this room. I don't see the need for Cameron to be put in another area to play." Liz liked spending time with her son.

"Good." Jason said smiling. "I'll put that together tonight after he is in bed. Something smells good."

"I'm roasting a chicken with potatoes and veggies." Liz was excited to cook this first meal for them. "It will be ready in about twenty minutes which gives me time to show you something. Come on Cameron."

While they watched he pushed the toy car forward with his feet heading for the living room entrance. "He figured that out fast."

"They have toys similar to those at daycare too." Liz explained. The center had an outside area for playing when it was warm out.

"Would he like a play set in the backyard?" Jason wanted to know.

"There is a brand new set out there." Liz said grinning. "Steven had it installed before he left. You can check that out after I show you this." She said opening the door to another room. Cameron was riding up and down the wide hallway. "This used to be my grandfather's office, I thought it would work well for your office. Steven took the desk."

"He should have taken it, that's a family heirloom." Jason wasn't upset with that. "This room is big enough that Cameron can play in here if I need to watch him while you go out." Just because she wanted to stay home didn't mean Elizabeth wouldn't have a life of her own. "How come you aren't making this a studio?"

"Not enough light. The rear bedroom upstairs gets amazing southern exposure so I'm taking that space for myself for the moment. I was thinking of having a studio built in the backyard when spring arrives. We have plenty of space." Elizabeth ran the idea by him. They wouldn't be putting in a pool, there was no need to go through all that when there were pools at the Towers and an enclosed pool at the mansion.

"I'll call the foreman of my construction crew tomorrow. The two of you can get everything planned now so that when the weather warms up he can just get started." Jason told her. "Will you decorate my office for me?"

"I would love to." Liz said smiling, she leaned up and gave him a soft kiss. "Welcome home."

"It took me a while to get here, but I finally made it." Jason said kissing her back.

* * *

Thanks for the reviews!


	22. Chapter 22

ABC/DISNEY owns GH. No copyright infringement is intended.

* * *

Chapter 22

"Good morning." Liz said coming into the kitchen. Her guys were already at the table. Cameron was smiling at Jason who was making her a hot chocolate.

"Morning." Jason had been having a great time with his son. "I should be free this afternoon do you think we could maybe have lunch together?" He was going to miss their uninterrupted time together.

"Okay. More than likely it will be just me. Cameron will probably be having nap time." Liz warned him.

"That will not be a problem. I can bring something to eat. Any cravings?" From what he had seen so far her diet was pretty normal.

"Kelly's chili." Liz told him. "I've been eating it once a day for the last month." She said laughing. "I missed it when we were on the island."

"You got it." Jason said as the doorbell rang. "That will be Marco."

"Time to get going." She said grabbing her mug as Jason picked up their son. In the hall she opened the door to admit not only Marco but Cody as well while she and Cameron put on their coats.

"Congratulations." Cody told Liz.

"What he said." Marco added on grinning.

"Thanks guys." Liz laughed at them. She would be hearing that from everyone for a while, and was going to lap it up. "Tomorrow we will be ready to go when you get here." She didn't like to keep the guys waiting.

"It's not a problem Mrs. Morgan." Marco assured her.

Liz stopped as a slow smile came to her face. "Just for today I'll let that go. Tomorrow its Liz." She told Marco.

Marco just looked at his boss and Jason nodded. He didn't mind the crew using Elizabeth's first name. Although he suspected that a lot of them would call her Mrs. M, like Milo was doing.

"Okay, behave." She said to Jason as she took Cameron. "Say bye to daddy."

"Bye daddy." Cameron repeated.

Jason damn near melted on the spot. This was the first time he was getting addressed by that title, and he already couldn't wait to hear it again. "Have a good day." He kissed his wife and his son then watched them walk out the door. "I have coffee in the kitchen."

"Thanks." Cody said following his boss back. "I came over in case you wanted to talk to me before we went over to the mansion. In my opinion you should wait to hear the events from your grandmother, it's going to be more enjoyable." The enforcer grinned.

"Had fun did you?" Jason asked laughing.

"I have a full on case of hero worship going on. I'm going to ask her if she's hiring and if Mrs. Quartermaine says yes I'm bailing on you." Cody said sipping the dark brew.

"Am I going to have to watch the two of you?" Jason wanted to know.

"Yes, yes you are. Kelly is already setting aside bail money. Your grandmother and I had a bet about whose plan would contain Carly and Claudia. Mrs. Quartermaine went first and I never even got a shot." Cody explained a bit. "I'm still waiting to find out what she wants for winning."

Jason was laughing too hard to answer right away. "You know winner's choice is a sucker bet. She got you good."

"I know better now." The enforcer just shook his head at the truth of that statement. "You want me to tell you what she asks for?"

"No." Jason finished loading the dishwasher before turning it on. "That is between the two of you." He couldn't wait to find out what Cody had to come up with. "She'll be up so we can head over now. On the way you can tell me what exactly is going on between my sister and Dante. All I know is they went out on a date."

"They have a second one planned." Cody told his boss. He figured at some point Jason was going to talk to Sonny's son.

Jason nodded as he locked up and they headed to their cars.

* * *

Elizabeth dropped Cameron off at daycare before heading upstairs to her big brother's office. "Nice digs." She said walking into the large space. There were boxes on one side and Liz was guessing that they contained Alan's personal items as well as the items Steven needed. "Our grandparents would be proud of you."

"They would be proud of you too." Steven said walking over and giving his sister a hug. "Congratulations. Be happy."

Liz gave him a smile before smacking him hard upside the head. "You let him kidnap me and your nephew!"

"Ow!" Steven said frowning at her. "Did Gram teach you that?" He asked rubbing his head and moving out of arms' length.

"I watched her smack you frequently." Liz said crossing her arms over her chest. "Explain yourself. You're my big brother you aren't supposed to go along with me being kidnapped."

"Jason looked really pathetic." Steven said defending his decision. "Plus the whole mob boss thing. You don't say no to a man with his reputation."

Liz just gave him a look as she took a seat.

"He loves you." Steven said getting serious. "He loves Cameron. He wanted to make it work, and it looks like he did."

"If he hadn't you would be in so much trouble." Liz told her brother starting to smile. "Did you tell Olivia what you helped Jason do?"

"I did. She made me sleep on the couch for two nights." Steven said laughing. "When Jason called to tell me that you two were getting hitched Olivia said I was out of the doghouse. I'm supposed to invite you guys to dinner sometime soon."

"I will check with Jason and let you know when we are free." Liz told her brother before getting to her feet and placing an envelope on his desk. "That's my letter of resignation." She said smirking.

"You're quitting?" Steven said picking up the envelope. "That wasn't supposed to happen." He was looking forward to using his new position to irritate his little sister.

"In two weeks. I'm going to go tell Epiphany now, and I'll be sure to tell her the part you played in my leaving." Liz said letting her smile turn wicked.

"Piph is going to kill me." Steven had a healthy fear of his head nurse.

"Oh." Liz said turning to face her brother again. "Thanks for the house." She said before walking away.

Steven had to laugh. His sister was showing some spunk and swagger. She was also happy which hadn't been the case for a long time. It was good to see. Now he had to figure out how to stay one step ahead of Epiphany for the rest of the day.

* * *

"Good morning." Lila greeted her grandson and Cody. They were meeting in her office because Monica was home from work. They wouldn't be disturbed here. "There is coffee or tea if you'd rather on the cart. I also asked Cook to make an assortment of muffins. How are my granddaughter and great-grandson this morning?"

"Good they are at the hospital." Jason replied taking a seat.

"And Dr. Lee?" Lila asked Cody.

"Good, she is also at work." He said balancing his plate on his knee. The pumpkin muffins looked too good to pass up.

"Where you would like to start?" Lila asked her grandson. Cody would jump in when necessary.

"Ric." Jason hadn't heard much about the missing lawyer.

"He is at the warehouse." Cody told his boss, Jason would know which one. "Your grandmother didn't want Johnny to pout so I didn't kill Ric."

"O'Brien has decided to bank his unused week of vacation and add it to his paid leave when the baby comes." Jason explained. "So you can call him and let him know about Ric." The mob boss informed his enforcer.

Cody just nodded.

"Claudia?" Jason knew she was dead he just wanted the whole story. This would also lead into a talk about Carly.

"We were given permission from Maximus to handle that situation." Lila told her grandson. "I did intentionally pit Carly and Claudia against one another. I needed Carly occupied so that she would leave Kate alone."

Jason nodded getting instantly why. "Trevor Lansing."

"Yes, Maximus was behind the elder Lansing's accident because he couldn't keep his mouth shut." Lila continued. "Eventually Claudia was going to have to be removed, I knew that going in I expected Cody to handle that. Then Carly happened." The older woman said shaking her head. "That woman has been a pain in the ass since you first became involved with her. Fortunately her bad behavior worked in our favor this time."

"For once." Jason couldn't dispute her assertion. When looking back at his life he had no clue why time and again he put her before Elizabeth.

"No one has missed Ms. Zacchara. How is her brother handling this?" John was the only one to have Lila's empathy.

"John is doing well. I saw him yesterday." Jason told both the people in the office. "It hasn't completely settled in yet, but John was worried he was going to have to kill Claudia himself."

"He said the same thing to me." Cody told them. "Georgie said John is okay. She knows she can come to us if he needs anything." He had checked in when he stopped by to tell her that the guard was being removed.

"Carly?" Lila knew the blonde needed to be discussed.

"How is Australia treating her?" Jason wanted to know.

"Not very well." Lila said with a smirk. "Jane is putting Carly through her paces. The June Cleaver skin is already starting to chafe."

"Is anyone buying it?" Cody wanted to know.

"No." Lila said point blank. "Alexis, her girls, and Jerry arrived in Sydney yesterday for an extended visit. Carly and Alexis don't mix well so that isn't helping but the big test happens next week when Brenda arrives for a photo shoot for her calendar. She will be in Sydney for several months."

"Of all the locations in the world she picked Australia?" Jason asked grinning. What Lila said next didn't surprise him.

"Lovely beaches to show off tiny swimwear, and I may have mentioned that Jax was home when Brenda and I spoke last week." Lila said with an innocent smile. The model hadn't wasted anytime in changing where the shoot was taking place. "Jane of course is thrilled, she adores Brenda."

Cody was laughing, he was never getting on Lila's bad side.

"Anything else I should know?" Jason was just going to let that go. If Brenda managed to blow up the Jacks marriage then Carly would more than likely head back to Port Charles so he needed to make contingency plans just in case.

"Yes." Lila said opening the top right hand drawer of her desk. From inside she removed a small ornamental box. She opened the lid before looking at the two men sitting in her office. "Once upon a time Port Charles was a different place. Before Sonny a man named Frank Smith ran things, and Frank's son Damian made a very powerful enemy with his behavior." Lila began.

"You?" Jason guessed, although he had no idea that the Smiths had any interaction with his family.

"No, your grandfather. In exchange for Damian not spending the rest of his life in prison Frank gave Edward four markers. All of which I received when your grandfather died. When Sonny took over the territory he promised Maximus to honor those markers and I gave them to him in exchange for four of his markers. When you became Sonny's partner that promise extended to you. When you bought Sonny out you promised Maximus to honor all of Corinthos's debts." She further explained as she removed a marker from the box. The average citizen might be surprised to learn that the markers were nothing more than specialty poker chips. She pushed the black and gold chip across the table. "I'm collecting on one of my markers."

Jason looked at the chip and then his grandmother. "You don't need to give me a marker."

"Yes, I do." Lila had received some information and it caused a long night of thinking on how she wanted to handle things. She had decided it would be best if Jason stayed out of this issue, but he probably wouldn't agree. "I also cashed in my marker with Maximus."

That had both men curious. "Why?" Jason asked his grandmother.

"Because I found James Craig, and you are not going to go after him." Lila said her blue eyes looking into another pair that were the same shade.

"You found Craig?" Cody asked stunned. "How?"

"I'm glad we aren't enemies." Jason said leaning forward and taking the marker. He had no choice but to honor her request or he would be labeled a welsher. "I would never outwit you. Where is he?"

"Before you answer that can I ask why you don't want Jason to go after Craig?" Cody was a bit confused.

"No one I loved died." For Lila that was all it came down to. "According to Leo Julian, Alan's heart attack was just a matter of time. True the stress didn't help but my son's life style was too toxic. In the grand scheme of things this family got off better than others. That night also set in motion Jason pulling his head out of his ass, so something good did come from it." Lila said laughing at Jason's frown. "James Craig is really Jerry Jacks. As for how I found out, one of his employees is still here in Port Charles. He made a call to his boss, it was overheard. The person who heard it contacted me. I in turn made some calls of my own." Coleman was an excellent source of information.

"Seriously?" Jason asked stunned. "That's why you don't want me going after him. Because he's Jane's son. Jerry did put Sonny in a vegetative state." While Craig wasn't a priority Jason did plan on looking for him.

"Carly and Sonny are the reason Sonny is gone." Lila told Jason. "She ran her mouth, and his ego demanded he back up her threats." She paused. "But something about all this is off. Jerry didn't leave with anything so why go through all the hassle?"

"Maximus is looking into this?" Cody asked putting the pieces together.

"No. Maximus has handed this over to Duke Lavery. His orders are not to kill Jerry unless necessary. Alexis's daughters have begun bonding to Jerry and no one wants them hurt. I want to know why he came here." Lila said in a hard voice. "I also want Jerry to know coming back at any point will be a mistake."

"Alright. If he returns though he's mine." Jason told his grandmother.

"Deal. One final business thing." She said putting her box of markers away. "I offered Francis the CEO position at ELQ. Ned no longer wants to run things. As a shareholder I thought you should know."

"That's fine." Jason knew his friend would do an excellent job.

"Good, get out I need to tell Cody what he owes me. You are not needed for that." Lila said holding out an envelope. "My wedding present to you and Elizabeth."

The mob boss gave his grandmother a kiss on the check. "Thank you, and try not to steal my enforcer."

"Don't leave the house, I'm supposed to be protecting you." Cody told his boss.

"I'll go visit with my dad." Jason left wondering how deep Cody was going to end up.

"Be gentle." Cody said starting to laugh.

"Not a chance." Lila said with a wicked grin.

* * *

Thanks for the reviews!


	23. Chapter 23

ABC/DISNEY owns GH. No copyright infringement is intended.

* * *

Chapter 23

"Loitering is not allowed at the hub." Liz said giving Emily a hard time.

"I don't have to listen to you. Rumor has it you are as good as gone." Emily shot back.

"What do they have you doing?" Liz wanted to know. The rumor mill had started right after Steven left HR with the letter she had given him. Liz wondered just how long Amy was going to keep her job with a new COS around.

"Post ops, pre ops, labs. Grunt work." Emily shrugged. "Dr. Brewer said he is going to try to get me sprung early." He was the head of oncology. "He wants me to spend the next two months getting up to speed on their procedures so in January I can hit the ground running."

"It's a smart plan. Any of the surgical residents give you grief?" Liz wanted to know. They could be fairly ruthless.

"No, a couple of them said they could tell I wasn't happy. One guy came right out and said he was glad I was leaving. Apparently I was his biggest competition." Emily said grinning. "According to him. Considering I was planning on becoming a general surgeon and he is going into orthopedics I don't see how that was."

"Clearly you are just that badass." Liz said to her sister in-law.

"What are you doing these last two weeks?" Emily wanted to know.

"Ward work and a few surgeries. No trauma." Liz gave Em a knowing look and the young doctor nodded. Piph wasn't going to put Liz in the ER because of the baby. "Jason is maybe meeting me for lunch, want to crash?"

"Nope. Dante is meeting me for lunch. No, we won't join you." Em said before Liz could offer. "I want to put off the Jason glaring for as long as possible. Do you realize that if I married Dante he would be your brother in-law, but if Steven married Olivia then Dante would be your nephew as well?"

"Only in Port Charles." Liz said laughing. "I think we would stick to brother in-law. So things went well on the date?"

"Things went great." Emily was looking forward to date number two. She put back the chart she updated and turning saw Nikolas talking with Patrick. "I totally forgot Nikolas was looking for you when you were away. He seemed a bit frantic at your absence. He thought you left with Ric."

Liz had heard that rumor this morning and almost choked to death laughing on her water. The last name Morgan on her new name tag let everyone know they were wrong without her saying a word. "I was supposed to help him bury Lucky and Lulu. I just dropped off the face of the earth, so he may have been worried." Elizabeth had totally forgotten to call her friend. "I kind of got caught up in the whole being swept off my feet thing."

"I'm gonna need that whole story, and soon." Emily said watching as her ex-husband walked toward the hub. "I'm going to check in on patients. See you later."

"Later." Liz wasn't surprised her friend was leaving. "Nikolas, I'm so sorry. I should have called."

"It's fine as long as you are okay." Nikolas had been surprised to see her when he looked down the hall. Patrick had given him some bad news so it was more imperative than ever that he get moving on his plan. "I was wondering if we could have lunch today."

"I can't, Jason is coming over. How about tomorrow?" Elizabeth said as she pushed a stray hair off her check.

"You're wearing a wedding band." Nikolas said surprised. His first thought was that she had married Ric, who was still unaccounted for. However she wouldn't be eating with Jason if that was the case. "Elizabeth Morgan is a nice name." Nikolas said reading her name tag and making himself smile. "Congratulations."

"Thank you." Elizabeth was getting an odd vibe from her friend. "Is everything okay? Are you angry that I just left, because I can explain that? It's a pretty funny story."

"I'm not angry." Nikolas assured her as he put his plan to have Liz take Spencer on the back shelf. She would still take in his son, but Morgan might not be so accepting. They didn't have the best relationship. If she already had Spencer then the situation would be different, Nikolas just didn't see the mob boss wanting to add another child to their new marriage. "I'm happy that you and Jason figured things out."

"Thanks. What brings you to the hospital today?" Elizabeth wanted to know.

"Just business." Nikolas lied. The Cassadines no longer owned the hospital, the Quartermaines had bought it back just before Edward died. The Russian prince did still sit on the board though and he would let his friend think that was why he was here. Elizabeth would be a good choice for him to leave his seat to. Now he just had to figure out what to do with his son.

The elevator opened and Jason stepped off with Cody. "Nikolas."

"Jason." The Russian prince said nodding his head. "Enjoy your lunch." He said smiling at Liz. "Be good to her and keep her safe." He told Jason when he was next to the other man.

"I will." Jason replied. Just because he didn't like Nikolas didn't mean Elizabeth had to give up her friendship with him.

With another nod Nikolas got on the elevator.

"Why the frown?" Jason wanted to know.

"Nikolas seemed odd." Liz said as she logged out for lunch.

"Seemed normal to me." Jason said holding up the bag. "Chili from Kelly's. Mike asked me to pass along his congratulations."

"How is he?" Liz would stop by at some point herself. "With what happened to Sonny."

"They weren't close, which is making it harder to come to terms with what happened." Jason explained as they got on the elevator to go to the cafeteria. "Having Dante in his life is helping. Mike is enjoying being a grandfather." Nikolas hadn't shared Spencer with his mother's father.

"Good. I'm sure Tammy is helping him too." Liz said taking the seat her husband pulled out. "I'm really hungry so your timing is perfect. How was your morning?"

"I went to see Lila." Jason watched as his wife added ketchup, relish, and then mustard to her bowl. "She gave me a wedding present for us." When she added mayo he blanched some, but didn't speak up. He was guessing this was a pregnancy thing.

"That was sweet of her." Liz said digging in. "So good."

"Here it is." He said sliding the envelope across the table before opening his sandwich.

Liz spooned up more chili and picked up the envelope. "Any guesses?"

"No." Jason didn't even try to guess when he was given gifts. He didn't shake boxes either. "You could just open it and then we'd know what the gift is." He said and then laughed at her glare.

"Fine. You take all the fun out of gifts." Elizabeth told her husband before ripping open the envelope. "Be more excited when we go in to learn the baby's gender."

"When will that be?" Jason wanted to know. He already had an appointment on his calendar. It would be the first official doctors visit of the pregnancy, which meant he had gotten his act together in time to not miss the really big moments. He couldn't wait.

"Sixteen weeks if the baby is cooperating." Liz said removing the paper. "I didn't learn Cameron was a boy until he was born because he was stubborn."

"Wonder where he got that from?" Jason said with an angelic grin. Both Elizabeth and Zander had large willful streaks so it was kind of a crap shoot.

"Ha, ha." Elizabeth gave him a glare before turning her attention to the paper that was covered in Lila's elegant handwriting. With her worsening arthritis notes like these were rare and Liz was going to save it. "Should I read it out loud?"

"That's fine." Jason nodded, the only people near them were Marco and Cody.

"My darling grandchildren." Elizabeth had to smile at that. "I wanted to gift you something to celebrate your new marriage. I did consider simply signing the island over to Jason, but that is a very obvious gift. A woman never wants to be obvious. Besides Jason is getting it in my will, so that was cheating." Liz could hear the laughter in the words. "So I purchased you something instead. Something I hope you will use often in the coming years. That you will fill with love and laughter. Somewhere your children can grow and in time your grandchildren will visit as well. There is a picture in the envelope with all the information on the back. I look forward to hearing all about your first visit. Love Grandmother."

"The world would be a better place if there were more Lilas in it." Elizabeth said picking up the envelope again.

"You're right." Jason said smiling. His wife reminded him of his grandmother in so many ways. Yet if he said that Elizabeth would deny it. She simply didn't know her own worth.

Liz looked at the picture and her jaw dropped. Actually fell open in shock.

"What is it?" Jason wanted to know. He dipped his head and tried to read the print on the back.

Liz flipped the large rectangle so he could see the stunning photo. "It's a house. Wait, it's a villa. In Tuscany." She brought shocked eyes to his.

"Not surprising Lila loves Italy. Which part of Tuscany." He asked his wife.

"Chianti." Liz said reading the specs on the villa. It was huge. The Villa Cerretaccio had nine bedrooms and even more bathrooms. It sat on hundreds of hectares in the Italian countryside but was still a short ride from both Florence and Siena. In the picture she could see the house as well as the luxurious outdoor pool area. There was even a wine cellar waiting to be filled. "Since she purchased this for us, why isn't she giving the island to Chloe?" Liz would write a thank you note when she got home.

"Lila inherited the island from her maternal grandmother's side of the family, so technically it wasn't a Morgan family item until my grandmother acquired possession. Her brother Harold probably would have gotten it if he was still living. Chloe's branch of the Morgan family tree owns the family estate outside of London." Jason shared what he knew about the various legacies. "So she will inherit that when her parents die. Lila as the eldest living Morgan born woman inherited the family jewelry. I'm guessing that she will split that between you and Chloe when the time comes." Knowing his wife she wouldn't wear much of it but would put it somewhere safe to pass down to their children.

"Emily gets the Quartermaine holdings?" Elizabeth guessed.

"Yes, mostly because almost all of the items are in Monica's name." Jason thought that would leave Tracy fit to be tied. "Lila will name Dillon in her will, but more than likely it will be money. She won't leave him any business holdings because Dillon isn't interested in them."

"What about Ned?" Liz found this to be interesting.

"He inherited the Ashton holdings, they are also Britain based. Which was why he had no problem walking away from ELQ." Jason thought Ned was smart to put space between himself and the family. Especially since Edward never found a way to accept that his eldest grandchild decided to follow his own path. "If AJ was still alive he'd factor into who got what."

Liz got that her husband really didn't care about how things were divided up, but he would accept whatever his grandmother gave him. And cherish it because she did. "We should go to Italy next summer." It was still a dream of hers to see the country.

"Can you wait that long?" Jason asked grinning. "I was thinking a belated honeymoon at Christmas. You should still be able to fly, correct?"

"Unless Kelly says no, but we should stay here for Christmas. Its Cameron's first as a Morgan and the family will want him close." Liz explained. She wasn't going to push Jason to do more with the Quartermaines. However she and Cameron, plus the new baby when he or she arrived, would probably be frequent visitors to the mansion.

"Good point." Jason nodded finishing up his lunch. "I need to get back to work."

"Me too. I'll see you at home later." She said gathering up her trash.

"No later than six." Jason was going to try to stick to nine to five from this point forward. He wanted to be home with his family in the evenings.

Elizabeth nodded as she stood. When Jason leaned in and kissed her she blushed a bit. She hadn't been expecting that, and knew that co-workers were going to be talking about her again. "Bye."

"Bye." Jason watched her walk away with Marco. "Back to work."

"You could just let Lila keep running things." Cody joked. "She's good at it."

"It's tempting." Jason grinned. "Do you need time off?"

"Why?" Cody asked confused.

"To pay up." Jason snickered. He wasn't going to ask what Lila wanted, but something told him everyone in Port Charles was going to know when the time came.

"No." Cody said getting in the passenger seat of Jason's car. His boss always drove. "I can arrange everything from my office." He had started by honoring Mrs. Quartermaine's request that he clear what she wanted with Kelly. His girlfriend had laughed her ass off when he called. Kelly said go for it, so Cody started making calls because this was going to require some equipment. If the weather held out then they could get this done in the next few weeks. If not then they would have to wait until spring.

"Will I need Diane on standby?" Jason was going to see his lawyer later today.

"Wouldn't hurt." Cody said laughing. "With bail money."

"Give me at least three weeks' notice when you quit." Jason had to laugh.

"You got it." Cody wasn't going anywhere and they both knew it. He simply wouldn't be able to keep up with Mrs. Quartermaine. It was going to be fun to try.

* * *

Thanks for the reviews!


	24. Chapter 24

ABC/DISNEY owns GH. No copyright infringement is intended.

Not Safe For Work

* * *

Chapter 24

Jason woke up to his wife's kisses. He opened his blue eyes and found her smiling eyes looking down at him. "You are up early." She was straddling his hips giving him a hint as to how they were going to spend the time until their son woke up.

"So are you." She said with naughty grin as she shifted over him.

"I thought you would…sleep in." He lost his train of thought momentarily when she moved over him. "So that you would have energy for later." His hands found their way to her hips, not to keep her still but to encourage her to keep moving.

"I am too excited to sleep." Elizabeth said with slow grin as she sat up tall.

"Because we are seeing Kelly?" Jason was pretty excited about that.

"Yes, but at the moment my excitement is all about the fact that I woke up with you next to me." Elizabeth shifted her hips and her husband rewarded her with a moan. "I like it when you make that sound." She said grinding on him a bit harder. "Do it again." She demanded.

"Elizabeth." Jason moaned her name she was hot and wet against him and all he wanted was to be inside her. "Let me in." He said pushing up.

"Mmm." Liz said growling. "What do you say?" She was feeling her power this morning, something her guy didn't mind at all.

"Please?" Jason had no problem following his wife's lead in the bedroom. He found her confidence to be incredibly sexy. She had grown into a woman who embraced all the sides of herself.

"Please what?" Liz asked moving faster over him, things weren't going to last very long once he slid inside her, but that was fine. They would both be satisfied in the end.

"Please fuck me." He said with a wicked grin.

"Mr. Morgan you are a naughty boy." She said dropping him a wink. "I like that." Liz rose up on her knees and coming back down took him deep inside her body. "Oh yes." She moaned dropping her head back.

"Yeah." Jason said on a harsh whisper. "Move baby." She was killing him slowly.

Elizabeth gave them both what they needed, rotating her hips in a sensual rhythm. Her prediction that it wouldn't take long for them to both reach their breaking point was proven when Jason fell first. The feel of him swelling and then bursting deep inside her body pushed her over right behind him.

He helped her down to the bed smiling wide. "Good morning."

"It certainly is." Elizabeth said laughing. Unlike when the normally made love these days she wasn't the least bit sleepy. That had everything to do with the fact that they were seeing the baby on the ultrasound today. "I'm hungry."

"We are meeting Skye for breakfast in about a couple of hours." Jason said looking at the clock. His sister was watching Cameron while they were at the doctor's office. "But I can certainly round up a snack for you now."

"I would love some grapes." Liz had picked some up just yesterday.

"Get showered and I will go get them." Jason said giving her a kiss before rolling out of bed. He pulled on some sweats, checked on Cameron who was still sleeping and headed downstairs.

* * *

Elizabeth headed into the bathroom. She had officially been a stay at home mom for two weeks, and was already loving it. She and Cam had settled into a nice routine, one that would of course change when the newest family member arrived. She just hoped Cameron accepted the new baby without much fuss.

She reached for the soap and her loofah. Her hair was next and then she rinsed herself clean. Wrapped in a towel she put lotion on her arms and legs before walking into the large closet she shared with her hubby. Dropping the towel she reached for her underwear, pausing when she caught her reflection in the floor length mirror. Elizabeth turned to the side for a better look.

"Babe, I have your snack." Jason said walking into the room. He could see the bathroom was empty and since the closet doors were open went that way. "Babe?"

"Yeah." Elizabeth answered a bit distracted.

"I have the grapes." He held up the bowl enjoying the view. As he watched she frowned. "Is something wrong?"

"Look." Elizabeth was still standing sideways.

His eyes roamed her body, stopping at her stomach. "Are you showing?" He asked delighted stepping forward. It was the tiniest of baby bumps, but it was there.

"I'm only twelve weeks." Liz said looking over at him.

"Is it a second baby thing?" Jason had been reading books since he found out they were having a baby.

"I was thinking I would start showing around four months, with Cameron I didn't have a bump until almost twenty weeks." She explained her confusion.

"Are you worried something is wrong?" Jason asked setting down the fruit.

"I'm more worried about having a really big baby." Elizabeth said running her hand over the slight swell. "How much did you weigh at birth?"

"No clue." Jason said placing his hand over hers. "I can find out."

"You should. Kelly will need your medical history anyway. As well as any family history you can provide." Elizabeth told him finally slipping on her underwear and grabbing some jeans. When she had trouble zipping them up she switched to a dress. Wanting to feel pretty she opted for a vibrant orange sheath garment that should still work. "I will need to go shopping." Since it was fall the color worked with the season too.

"You could just call Chloe." Jason suggested.

"She doesn't make maternity clothes." Elizabeth wouldn't have any problem making that call to get out of more shopping. Her growing belly was why she only bought a few outfits on the island.

"Really." Jason hadn't know that.

"She said the market was too saturated." Liz said slipping on her shoes. Dark brown kitchen heels with gold bow accents on the top. "I'm going to eat my snack while you get clean. You can join me until it's time to go get Cameron." Liz said taking the bowl and heading to the sofa in the sitting area.

"I won't be long." Jason said before going into the bathroom.

* * *

"If it isn't my favorite newlyweds." Kelly said coming into the room. "Folks are still asking how they did not see this marriage coming." The doctor said with a wide grin as she read over the chart. "How are you feeling momma? Your numbers are looking good. You've gained some weight which I like seeing."

"I'm feeling confused." Liz told her friend. She was already on the table in a gown.

"What about?" Kelly asked as she lowered the blanket and lifted her friend's gown to do a manual exam. "Wow, that's a really pregnant uterus you've got there."

"I'm already sporting a tiny bump." Liz knew her doctor could feel that.

"You get the conception date correct?" Kelly started there as she lifted the phone and called for a portable ultrasound. "Some mommies don't."

"It's correct." Liz hadn't slept with anyone between leaving Lucky and that night she was with Jason.

"How big of a baby were you Jason?" Kelly asked him. He hadn't said anything so far which wasn't surprising.

"I'm going to get all the information you need to you as soon as possible." Jason told Kelly.

"You already ask that?" The doctor looked over at Liz who nodded. "The ultrasound is here, let's have a look." She turned on the machine as another knock sounded.

"Am I too late?" Emily asked coming into the room.

"Why are you here?" Kelly wanted to know. She didn't tolerate having her appointments crashed.

"I said she could come." Liz spoke up. "To make up for the fact that other folks found out about the baby before her."

Emily gave a big grin. "I demanded compensation." She said without the least bit of shame.

"Vengeful. I like that." Kelly said nodding in approval. "Monica hasn't mentioned the baby, but Steven asked if you were still coming in today."

"Monica doesn't know yet." Jason said waiting for Kelly to put the wand on Elizabeth's stomach.

"We are going to see her and Alan today. I figured I would track down Steven before we leave to tell him everything looks good." Liz wasn't going to think any negative thoughts.

"And that's my cue." Kelly said grinning. "This is cold." She squirted the gel on her friend's tummy. "Full bladder?"

"I know the drill." Liz said linking her fingers with Jason's.

"I'll remind you that you said that when we are further down the line and you are misbehaving. You just look like a troublemaker." The doctor teased as she applied the wand for their first look. "You don't like me do you?" Kelly looked at Elizabeth.

"Is that?" Emily asked leaning closer to the screen.

"Yeah, it is." Kelly responded pursing her lips.

Elizabeth was on the table staring at the monitor.

"What?" Jason asked looking between the three women.

Emily pulled over a chair and pushed her brother into it. "Go ahead and tell him." She told Kelly wondering if they might need smelling salts.

"Liz would you like to do the honors?" Kelly asked her friend.

"Um." Elizabeth said still looking at the screen.

"Kelly." Jason said trying to stave off panic.

"One. Two. Three." She said pointing to the monitor.

"Three? Babies?" Jason asked unable to process what he was hearing. "Are you saying that we are having three babies? At once?"

"You are going right to the top of the high risk list." Kelly said moving the wand to make sure there weren't any more in there. "You're not even on fertility drugs. Do you know what the odds of three eggs getting fertilized at once naturally are? I could make some seriously off color jokes right now, but I'm not. I want points for that."

"It could be one egg that split three times. Or it could have started out as twins and one egg split." Emily pointed out pulling up information she learned during her ob/gyn rotation.

"Please, we all know the sperminator over there decided to show off." Kelly said poking at Jason as she wiped down Liz's stomach, and forfeiting those points she just demanded. "We won't know for sure until they come out and we get a look at them. Have you been having bad morning sickness?" Kelly wanted to know.

"No." Elizabeth said coming out of her fog. "Three."

"You're lucky. Most of my multiple mommies complain of sickness from day one." Kelly hoped her friend continued to buck that trend because this was not going to be an easy pregnancy. "That explains the elevated hormone levels. You ran higher than normal in that area with Cameron, so I didn't think anything of it."

Elizabeth's shocked eyes met Jason's. "Three." She repeated.

"What happens now?" Jason needed information. As much as he could get. Panic was still threatening.

"My awesomeness kicks in." Kelly said feeling chipper. "I'm the best doctor you can have in this situation." She assured her parents. "We got this!" The doctor said turning off the ultrasound. "We are going to need to put together a care plan, and you're going to be in here a lot. Every two weeks until six months and then every week."

"How far do you think Liz can get?" Emily wanted to know. Her brother and best friend were still processing the news. So was Em, but her inner doctor was also on alert.

"I'd like to get to thirty-four weeks if we can." Kelly told everyone as she started typing information into Liz's chart. "You need to take it easy. Plenty of rest, no stress if possible, and you need to gain more weight. You are going to have blood pressure issues, but we are going to do our best to keep them from being severe." The doctor sounded like she was outlining a battle plan. "Start preparing yourself now for the fact that you are probably going to end this pregnancy on bedrest, maybe even here in the hospital." She wasn't going to settle for anything less than three healthy babies and a healthy mommy too. "We got lucky in that this is your second pregnancy which means more elasticity to the tummy, which in turn means more room."

"Hopefully higher birth weights." Emily added on.

"Are you sure you don't want to join my department?" Kelly had no problem poaching.

"Not a specialty I'm interested in." Emily grinned. "Thanks for the ego boost all the same."

"Three." Liz said again.

"It's going to be okay." Kelly said gripping her friend's hand. "I'm going to be banning sex earlier too, so I would suggest you take advantage of the fact that you can have it." Honestly Liz probably wasn't going to feel like having sex in about a month anyway. "So, questions?"

"Um." Liz said gripping her husband's hand tightly. They would get through this together. Her job was to keep their babies safe, and he would give her all the support she needed to accomplish that. At the moment however she was just terrified.

"Go home, write them down and then email them to me." Kelly got that if they started asking now they would not only be here for the next week, but they would forget something. "Since we are friends as well as doctor/patient I will see you often." The Quartermaines would be checking in too. "Let me take your blood pressure again before you go. At least the biggest stressors are no longer around. No Lucky and no Carly. That's half the battle done."

Jason frowned at that. Carly was starting to act out in Australia. There was a story in the international press of her getting into a shoving and screaming match with Brenda. Rumors were swirling that Jax was having an affair. His former best friend was in early melt down mode and it was only going to get worse. When she finally imploded she would be heading back here after the dust settled and she lost everything. Jason needed to make sure she didn't come home to roost. That could wait, right now he needed to focus on his wife and the three babies she had in her stomach.

* * *

Thanks for the reviews!


	25. Chapter 25

ABC/DISNEY owns GH. No copyright infringement is intended.

* * *

Chapter 25

"What's wrong?" Steven asked a bit breathless as he walked into the examination room. Both Liz and Jason had an odd look on their faces. Kelly was with another patient but she told Liz and Jason they could hang out for this meeting. "Why did Kelly call me and tell me to hurry downstairs." Luckily he was free at the moment, something that didn't happen a lot at work anymore. Given his sister's history he had wasted no time.

"Hey." The doctor in question walked in. "I got another doctor to cover my appointment."

"What's wrong?" Steven looked from Liz to Kelly.

"We are having triplets." Jason finally spoke up. Which had Steven looking over at him.

"Seriously?" Steven asked as his eyes got wide. "How high risk is my sister?" He went right into doctor mode.

"Extremely." Kelly said getting out the blood pressure cuff again since Liz was still here. The machine went to work, it would beep when it was done. "She is young and healthy though so that helps." Liz wasn't even thirty yet.

"How much of a factor is her history of miscarriages?" Steven wanted to know.

"It's a concern, but not the biggest hurdle in my opinion. Folks have miscarriages and go on to have perfectly healthy pregnancies after. Including multiples. I'm more concerned about the stress on the systems in Liz's body. Pregnancy is not easy on the mommy, even with one. It's a lot of work to grow a person and now she's growing three. Liz is tiny. Even shorter than me." Kelly told her Chief of Staff. "I'm going to be all over her."

"I'm not expecting special treatment because she's my sister." Steven told his colleague. He was also aware that there was a whole lot of silence coming from his sister and new brother in-law. He was guessing they were in shock still.

"She isn't going to get special treatment. All my patients get my best." Kelly was too egotistical to have things go wrong with her mommies and their babies. Which given her specialty was actually a good thing.

Steven nodded as the blood pressure machine beeped. The numbers were higher than normal, but not in the range that they would worry. "Jason, a word." The Chief of Staff requested.

The mob boss reluctantly let go his wife's hand. "Yeah?"

"Control your mother." Steven said point blank. He hadn't seen Monica unless it was work related, nor had he seen the older woman interacting with Liz. When he asked his sister how things were with her mother in-law, all she said was fine. Considering that Liz didn't make a big deal of how Monica was treating her before, he wasn't sure what that meant.

"Things in that area are better." Jason passed along. "I let my mother know I wasn't going to tolerate her disrespecting my wife. Monica apologized, and Elizabeth has asked me to not interfere in their relationship from this point forward. So I have Emily watching." Jason said with a half grin. "No one hurts your sister anymore." He included himself in that.

"Good to know. Olivia will be over as soon as I call her." Steven said with a grin. His girlfriend was at work but would find a way to get to the Morgan house.

Jason just looked at his brother in-law. Olivia was a lot like Sonny used to be. She went into full on caretaker mode when people were sick or injured. Jason knew enough to not argue, but he would not hesitate to throw her out if she annoyed Elizabeth. "Tell her to call first."

"Okay. I'm guessing we will be over for dinner." Steven would find a way to get out of work.

"Call first." Jason repeated before walking back to Elizabeth. "Do you want me to cancel the visit to the mansion?" They were picking up Cameron and then heading over once they left here.

"No." Liz said shaking off her shock. She imagined that over the next few weeks that feeling was going to return occasionally, but for now she was coping. Or starting to. The fact that they were having triplets still hadn't fully been comprehended. "We should round everyone up, so we can make the announcement the one time."

"Good plan." Jason said helping her off the table. "You can send out the alert while I drive. Kelly?"

"Yes?" The doctor was expecting that Steven was going to want to talk some when his sister left. That was fine, Liz had already given her permission for him to be in the loop.

"Do my guys need to do anything special at the moment?" He meant the guards.

"No, but as we get further along that may change. I would suggest hiring a nanny now, as well as a housekeeper if you don't have one. A full time medical companion might not be a bad idea once I tell Liz she has to stay off her feet." Kelly tacked on. Her friend was going to hate that.

"Get some rope." Steven said laughing, he was thinking the same thing as Kelly.

"Or some backup." Jason said with a half grin. His girl wouldn't fight him on it because it would be for the benefit of the babies, but she wasn't going to like it.

"Okay, I'm ready to go." Liz had pulled it together further in the bathroom. She could do this.

"We will see everyone later." Jason said as they walked out. It was a good thing their new house had enough space. They didn't need the hassle of having to move on top of what was coming.

"Come to my office, I'll give you a crash course in multiples." Kelly told her boss. Steven just nodded and followed her out.

* * *

"Hello darlings." Lila was sitting in the parlor with Monica and Alan when her grandchildren arrived. Jason was carrying Cameron and when he sat the little boy down he clung to his dad's leg feeling shy. Visits to the mansion were not uncommon, but they didn't normally involve the Dr. Quartermaines.

"Who do you have there?" Alan asked from his wheelchair. He was still under orders to not over exert himself. So he used the chair between the times where he took a brief walk for exercise.

"This is Cameron." Jason made the introductions. "Cam this is your grandfather."

The little boy waved but didn't move from his spot.

"You remember your grandmother right?" Elizabeth pointed out Monica. "She came to visit us at the house."

Cameron nodded but didn't let go of his dad's leg.

Jason just laughed before picking up his son. "We wanted to come visit and share some news. We invited the rest of the family to come over as well, so that we could do this all at once. They know part of it, so we wanted to bring you up to speed before they get here." It was the polite thing to do.

"Have a seat." Monica pointed to the couch. "Would you like something to drink?" She asked playing hostess as Emily walked in the room. "I thought you were working?"

"I was, Steven let me come home. Liz I'll get you some water." Emily said hovering.

"What about me?" Jason said to be difficult.

"Did you tell them yet?" Emily ignored her brother. "I asked Alice to bring Cameron some juice." The young doctor explained handing Liz the glass.

"We are pregnant." Jason said before his sister exploded. In the car Elizabeth had admitted to worrying that her new in-laws, not Lila of course, would think that was why they got married. That she had trapped him into this relationship. Jason said he didn't care what they thought, and if they were smart they would keep that possible opinion to themselves.

"We are going to have another grandchild?" Alan said beyond happy. He was already looking forward to getting to know Cameron, and another baby would be a blessing.

"Congratulations!" Lila beamed.

"Yes, congratulations." Monica was happy for them. "It's a good thing we are having the mansion baby proofed. Would you consent to having some rooms redone here at the house for the kids?" She was hoping that her grandchildren would be regular visitors. Monica was committed to making this a place Liz was comfortable coming for visits other than to see Lila and Emily. "You would have control over how they look, of course."

"That would be nice. Thank you." Liz said drinking her water.

Johnny and Chloe arrived next. "What's up?" The summons to the mansion by Jason of all people was unexpected. On the way in Johnny spoke with Cody who said something had happened at the doctor's appointment to leave both Morgans off kilter.

"Sit down Chloe." Emily instructed getting more water.

"We are waiting for the last of the arrivals." Jason told his friend. "Nothing is wrong." He knew how Johnny thought.

"Okay." The Irishman said kissing Lila's, and then Monica's, cheek before helping himself to coffee. "How are you feeling Alan?"

"Better every day. Having grandchildren will help." The now retired doctor said with a big grin.

Francis walked in holding hands with Skye. When their daughter Lila Rae saw Cameron she squirmed to get down. "What's up?" Francis had been at his office at ELQ headquarters. It only took him a few days to decide to accept Lila's offer. If he didn't like it he could quit. Skye had accepted their grandmother's offer to help run the pickle company part time the same day it was made.

Kisses were given out, and Liz only frowned a bit when she noted that Monica didn't acknowledge Skye. It looked like Alan's decree wasn't working. Emily was sporting the same look. "I will handle that, you don't need the drama." The young doctor told her sister in-law.

"Okay." Liz ended the quiet conversation. She turned to her hubby who was grinning at the two women. Looked like Monica was going to be called out on the rug, again.

"We went to see Kelly this morning." Jason got them started. He wanted to get his wife home so she could start relaxing.

"Is everything okay?" Lila detected an odd note in her grandson's voice. She also noticed that neither he nor Elizabeth were smiling. At the same time Lila wasn't getting the impression that anything was seriously wrong.

Jason looked at Elizabeth and smiled. She smiled back and he faced the family again. "We are having triplets."

"Come again?" Francis asked just looking at his friends.

"As in three?" Johnny followed up stunned.

"Wow." Was all Skye could say.

"Three?" Chloe asked at the same time as her husband.

Both Monica and Alan had been struck mute.

Lila snickered before regaining her composure. She wondered if the urge to kill Jason had hit Elizabeth yet. "If there is anyone who can handle this it's Elizabeth. You will of course have my support and whatever assistance I can provide." Which would be more emotional than anything. "The garden will be a lovely place for walks when needed."

"Thank you Grandmother." Liz said smiling.

"Jason for his part can sleep over when you throw him out." Lila couldn't help adding.

"Why aren't you surprised?" Johnny asked Emily. She was really calm.

"I was at the doctor's appointment." Emily told them. "I got to see it all unfold live, so I've had more time to process this."

"What does this mean health wise?" Chloe wanted to know. She couldn't imagine have three babies at once. This one baby was hard enough.

"It means a high risk pregnancy, and a lot of doctor's appointments." Elizabeth started explaining. "Every two weeks. Lots of stepping on the scale, getting my blood pressure monitored, and a lot of blood work to make sure everything is working as it should." Especially her kidneys and her pancreas. "I'm also going to go into early labor, so it means dealing with preemies. I have the best doctor in the state, and General Hospital has one of the best neonatal units on the east coast. So no matter what we can handle it."

"You have us too." Skye said covering her sister's hand. "All you have to do is let us know what you need."

"Thank you. I'm big on doing things myself, but even I recognize we are going to need help." Liz admitted, so she wasn't going to grumble when Jason started hiring folks. "I'm going to head to the bathroom." Liz just wanted a minute.

* * *

"Come on." Johnny said to Jason. "Excuse us for a moment." He knew Francis would follow. They walked out of the house and into the garden stopping when they were away from the house. "Okay."

"Okay?" Jason just looked at his friends.

"Get it out now." Francis knew what Johnny was doing. "You'll need to do this again at some point, but since Liz is not in the parlor it's a good time to start."

Jason looked out into the garden before looking back at his friends. "I'm terrified. I was scared with the one baby, that's a huge responsibility. Now we are having three. Three!" The mob boss just let the words pour out of him. "What if I suck at being a dad, or husband? What if I do something stupid and they end up hurt? What if something happens to her and she dies in childbirth? Three babies means three times the risk of something going wrong. She's counting on me to not screw this up. I can't let her down." He finished up looking at his friends with eyes filled with worry.

"You won't suck at being a dad." Johnny would start there. "Kids know who they can trust. They know the good guys from the bad guys. Cameron trusts you, and that should let you know you can handle this."

"As for being a bad husband, you are probably worried because this marriage number three. If you count the whole Brenda mess, which I don't think you should." Francis said grinning. "You and Courtney were doomed from the start, she was the wrong woman. Liz isn't, that will make all the difference."

"The rest is normal new dad nerves. I've wrestled with all those questions since Chloe said she had a bun in the oven. I think I'll be worried about failing them until I take my last breath. In your case all that fear is being compounded by the fact that you are having three babies at once. So you're entitled." Johnny added on.

"We are going from one to four kids." Jason looked at his friends.

"And?" Francis prodded.

"We can handle it." Jason said taking a deep breath. "If we need help we aren't alone."

"Good. Next time you need to have a moment of panic give a holler." Francis said slapping his friend on the back. Both Johnny and Jason had been there for him when he felt that fear creeping in as Skye's due date got closer.

"Let's go back in before Emily kills Monica." Johnny said laughing. "She was glaring mighty hard."

"We need to be back when Liz returns anyway." Francis got them moving, but he had noticed Emily too. He had a feeling Monica was about to get reamed out by her youngest child. It was good having Emily on their side.

* * *

They walked through the door just as Liz returned to the parlor. "You ready to go home?" Jason asked his wife.

"Yeah." Liz knew if she stayed here then everyone would just hover.

"Leave Cam here." Emily said standing up. "I'll bring him home at dinner time."

"Why don't you guys come to the penthouse so the kids can play?" Skye suggested, she didn't want Em and Monica fighting in front of Cameron. If her little sister stayed that would happen.

"Can I crash?" Chloe wanted to know. The ladies needed to figure out who was going to do what for Liz.

"Sure." Emily loved spending time with her cousin too.

"Go home." Johnny told Jason. "I'll call if I need to." Actually he would probably just stop by later in the day.

"Thanks." Jason nodded, he wouldn't be able to concentrate at work. "I'll send Cody to talk to you." His enforcer needed to be briefed. Milo would most likely sit in with them. "And Marco. Kelly said the guys don't need to do anything out of the ordinary yet."

"Just keep us informed of any changes." Johnny said as they all headed to the cars.

"Will do." Jason said before he and Elizabeth got in their car and pulled off.

"Three babies." Francis said shaking his head.

"Like the universe is playing catch up or something. If they had gotten it right all those years ago they would already have a house full of young ones." Johnny was a big believer in fate. "I'll ask Cody to check with Kelly on what books we should be reading."

"Send me an email." Francis said as his wife and daughter came out of the house. "Let me get my girls in the car and I'll follow you to the Towers."

Johnny nodded and headed over to help Chloe down the steps.

* * *

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	26. Chapter 26

ABC/DISNEY owns GH. No copyright infringment is intended.

* * *

Chapter 26

Jason took them home and Elizabeth went upstairs to change. She got out of her pretty dress and in just her underwear looked at her body again. By the time she was ready to give birth she was going to be huge, and pretty much all tummy. At some point she needed to sit down and make a list of everything that needed to happen, but it wouldn't be today. Nope, at the moment her thoughts were too scattered.

"Everything alright?" Jason asked from the doorway of the closet. He was grinning because his girl looked hot in her lace.

"I need to go shopping for maternity clothes. I had a bunch in storage, but the basement of the apartment building I lived in right after I gave birth to Cameron got flooded and everything was ruined." Liz said reaching for yoga pants and a soft t-shirt. "I'll buy some staples, stretchy pants and tops but I'm not sure that I'll fit anything but a tent by the time I give birth." Nicer items would be purchased as needed.

"You can get whatever you need." He assured her leaning onto the doorjamb. Watching her dress was just as erotic as watching her undressed. He told himself to calm down.

"I know. It's just that I was looking forward to being cute for you." Liz said with a rueful smile.

"Cute for me?" Jason wasn't sure what that meant.

"Maternity clothes have come a long way." Elizabeth said slipping on some shoes. She never walked around in her bare feet. "Lots of cute outfits to tastefully show off your growing bump. Some sexy outfits that remind people you are still a woman. You are going to get sick of seeing me in the same stuff all the time."

Jason pushed off the door and walked over to where his wife was standing. He could guess where this was coming from. Elizabeth had been married to Ric when she was pregnant with Cameron, but they divorced before he was born. Jason had listened as Emily went on a rant about the fact that Ric kept telling Liz how bad she looked and that she really needed to keep herself up. It was just one of the times Jason wanted to kill the lawyer. Johnny had taken care of that a few days after they returned home.

When Jason was standing in front of his wife he cupped her face in his hands before dipping his head and kissing her deeply. Her lips were swollen by the time he released them. "You could be in a potato sack and you would still be the sexiest woman in the room as far as I'm concerned." He said on a husky whisper. "I can't wait to watch you grow with our children and to feel them moving inside you." He gave her the words knowing she needed them, he also knew that this wasn't completely about him. She needed to feel good too. "Feel free to have clothing made if you need to. I'm sure Chloe would be happy to help, she can recommend someone if she can't do it herself. I just want you happy."

"Thank you." Elizabeth said snuggling close.

"If you don't find anything you like you could always stay naked." He suggested laughing. "That is always a good look for you."

Elizabeth looked up at him and tried to keep from smiling but failed. "You are good for my ego." She leaned up and kissed him softly. "Cameron would need therapy for life if I went that route."

Jason just laughed some more as he rubbed her back. "How about a snack?" Kelly had said Elizabeth needed to gain more weight. His girl was already behind so they needed to play catch up, but they also needed to be smart about how they went about that.

"I am getting hungry." Liz looked up at Jason and smiled. "I noticed early on that my calorie consumption was up based on my first pregnancy. I chalked it up to not getting sick, I thought for sure Kelly was going to tell me that I needed to be careful because I was gaining too much weight. I guess my body knew what it was doing."

"Funny how that works." Jason grinned before leaning down and scooping her up. "I guess that's why you are so sleepy?"

"I guess." Liz said putting her head on his shoulder. "If you carry me everywhere that will help too. I won't burn calories as fast." She said laughing as he took them down to the kitchen and placed her on a bar stool. He stole a kiss before walking over to the refrigerator.

"We need to go shopping." Jason was about to ask Elizabeth to start a list when the doorbell rang. He didn't bother to look out the peephole, the guard wouldn't let just anyone close. "Hey."

"Where is she?" Olivia asked coming inside the house. She handed Jason a thermal bag while Dante came in behind her with two more.

"Kitchen." Jason pointed over his shoulder. He was going to ask about her coat but Olivia was already moving away. "No Steven?"

"He couldn't leave the hospital right now." Dante stood awkwardly in the foyer. "My ma had too much stuff to carry over by herself."

"I could have sent someone." Jason got that Dante couldn't really be seen hanging out at the house. It would be bad for his career. "You can put the bags down."

Dante had to laugh at the look on Jason's face. The mob boss probably didn't want anyone from the PCPD in his house. "She didn't make all this today. My mother keeps her freezer well stocked." During last year's flu outbreak she fed half the hotel staff by herself. "I'm going to go. Congratulations on the babies."

"Thanks. I'm sure Emily will tell you all about it." Jason commented. He would need to put everything Olivia brought over away. The freezer had plenty of room, which was good because Francis and Johnny would no doubt be bringing things too.

"I look forward to it." Dante said grinning. He had a date with his girlfriend tonight due to her unexpected day off. "I'm going to go now."

"Bye." Jason said holding open the door. Holiday dinners were going to be weird from here on out. He took the bags into the kitchen where Olivia was fussing over Elizabeth. She was emptying the contents of the bag she carried in on to the counter.

"Now, I'm not going to be a pain. I will just say I'm here if you need me." Olivia was telling Liz. "You have a good man and he's going to take excellent care of you." The older woman gave Jason a look and when he nodded she was satisfied. "I know you need to get in more calories so I brought over some things to tide you over until you fill up the freezer."

"Thank you." Elizabeth said smiling. "I'm sure it will all be delicious."

"Lots of healthy meals with veggies and whole grains. I included a baked ziti because its Cameron's favorite." Olivia said opening cabinets. "Where are the pots? I'm gonna make you lunch and then get back to the hotel." She was enjoying the Carly free atmosphere.

"Under the stove." Elizabeth told her friend. They had a countertop convection range and wall ovens. Olivia's remodel of the kitchen was a cook's dream. "The same place you kept them. How is the Towers?"

"Fantastic." Olivia said finding the cutting board and grabbing a knife. "I loved living here, but this is really a family space. It needs little ones running in from the backyard. The penthouse is more us. And that kitchen. Sonny knew what he was doing there. God bless him." They hadn't spoken since he shot Dante, but she still prayed for him every night.

Jason listened to the conversation with half an ear as he unloaded the bags. Each container had a label stating what was inside and reheating instructions. He was beginning to think that she had missed her true calling. "Did you need help?" He asked when he was done.

"Get some plates, and then you can get Liz something to drink." Olivia said chopping garlic. She had almost dropped the phone when Steven called to say Liz was having triplets. Everyone was going to be watching the retired nurse like a hawk. "Remember that your brother and I are around if you need a sitter, or are you getting a nanny?"

"Nanny." Liz said taking the lemonade from Jason. Tart drinks were the norm these days.

"Good, and a housekeeper." Olivia said giving Liz a pointed look. The younger woman could be stubborn. "Rest while you can. When Liz goes into the hospital Cameron can stay over with us, I don't work at night." Olivia knew the nanny wouldn't be live in. "Are you getting a doula?"

"What's a doula?" Jason hadn't heard that term before.

"It's a companion who provides support for the family usually later in a pregnancy and after the baby is born." Liz told her husband. "Probably not." She told Olivia. "I really do have a large support network, so it shouldn't be necessary. If we change our mind I'm sure Epiphany will know who to call. So what's for lunch?"

"Quinoa, sautéed kale, and other roasted veggies." Olivia would keep it light since it wasn't actually lunch time. "Really easy to reheat. You'll love it." She promised getting down to cooking.

* * *

Emily had a great morning with her nephew. After lunch she dropped him off at his house for his afternoon nap. A visit with Liz didn't happen because she was already sleeping. So Em headed for the mansion to handle some business before her date.

"Hi Grandmother." Emily said walking into the parlor and kissing the older woman's cheek. "Do you know where my mother is?"

"I believe she is in her office." Lila wondered if Monica was about to get a well-deserved verbal thrashing. One that should have been delivered by Alan ages ago. Lila had watched Emily watching her mother this morning.

"Thank you." Emily said heading deeper into the house. She knocked on the door and when her mother yelled entered the office. The space hadn't changed much in the years Em had lived here. Her mother was definitely a creature of habit in her personal life.

"I wasn't expecting you back this early. I thought you would be with Cameron all day." Monica said putting down the file she was reading. Application for the next class of surgical interns were starting to come in. She had tried to talk Em into staying in the program but her daughter wasn't changing her mind. Monica thought Emily was wasting her talents.

"He was ready to nap and I needed to come talk to you." Emily said taking a seat. "I was really hoping this wouldn't be necessary but after this morning I see that it is." She said not giving her mother time to interrupt. "Would you like to tell me exactly what your problem with Skye is?"

"Watch your tone Emily, I am still your mother." Monica told her daughter.

"No, you're not. My mother is a woman who takes in a child she barely knows because she needs a home. My mother is a kind and compassionate surgeon who performs pro bono surgeries on children from countries where they can't get the help they need. You are not that woman. You used to be, but I have no idea when that changed." Emily said calling her out.

"You wouldn't understand." Monica was surprised that Emily said all that. And more than a little ashamed that another of her children was calling her out on her behavior.

"Understand what? That it had to hurt when you got concrete proof that your husband had yet another affair? Or understand that he slept with a woman you can't stand?" Emily looked at her mother who had the good grace to blush. "It not like my own husband did the same thing. It's not like I had to watch Courtney through her entire pregnancy and see her when she went to doctor's appointments. Do you have any idea how hard it was to watch her and Nikolas looking at ultrasound pictures while they waited for the elevator? No, you don't. Yet I don't hate Spencer, not one little bit because he didn't ask to born into that situation. If there is anyone you shouldn't be talking to its dad, he is the one who couldn't control himself."

Monica just stayed silent because everything her daughter was saying was correct. It wasn't Skye's fault Monica couldn't stand Rae. The mother and daughter looked alike so it was easy to transfer that anger, but that didn't make it right.

"Apologize to Skye, and if you can't be nice then be civil." Emily said standing up. "You being a bitch to her is going to sour your relationship with your remaining children. We will only tolerate you being mean for so long." With that Emily walked out of the office hoping she got through to her mother.

* * *

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	27. Chapter 27

ABC/DISNEY owns GH. No copyright infringement is intended.

* * *

Chapter 27

The Morgans were holding hands when they walked out of the doctor's office. Kelly had been pleased with the weight gain, and the blood pressure results. This early in the pregnancy it was all about watching and making sure things were going well. Blood had been taken and sent to the lab for the first series of tests to make sure everything was working as it should. Particular attention was going to be paid to Liz's blood sugar numbers and Jason was a bit anxious about the test results. "So are you going to tell me the story behind your purple sneakers?"

Liz just grinned. Her husband had noted them when she walked into the kitchen this morning. Today her look was laid back and casual. A comfy grey sweater, black maternity pants, and the aforementioned footwear. She had told him that she would fill in the blanks after they saw the doctor. "Cameron picked them. Purple is his favorite color."

"Why didn't he get purple sneakers then?" Jason asked as he pushed the elevator button.

"They didn't have them in his size, so he went with the red sneakers he is currently wearing. After getting his shoes we went to get some for me because the store was have a BOGO sale. When he saw the purple sneakers I didn't have the heart to say no." Liz said laughing. "They are really comfortable and I like the pop of unexpected color they bring to an outfit. Although I expect I'll need to put them away soon."

"What is BOGO, and why do you need to put the sneakers away?" Jason wanted to know.

"Buy one, get one is what BOGO stands for. In this case it was a pair of shoes half off. It's a good time to shop when you see that sign. Cameron's feet grow quickly." Elizabeth said buttoning her coat. Already her tummy was making that hard, so a maternity coat needed to be picked up because the weather was only going to get colder. "I will need to get shoes I can slip on and off because bending over to tie laces will be tricky."

"I can tie them for you." Jason let her know.

"Thank you." Liz said giving him a dazzling smile. "You won't always be home when I get dressed, but if you are I will take you up on that offer." Sometimes his days started early.

"Marco will help you." Jason told his wife as the elevator came to a stop. The guard was standing behind them.

Liz looked at Marco and grinned. "He's not there to help me get dressed. I will be fine." Although she knew her guard would totally help her. He already was refusing to let her carry bags. "If I must wear something that ties or zips I can call one of the girls." She pointed out as the doors slid open. "Nikolas." Elizabeth said smiling. "Hi." She hadn't seen him in about a month.

"Liz. Jason." Nikolas nodded as he greeted them. "How are you?"

"We are good." Liz answered, it was doubtful Jason would say anything. She put her hand on her stomach. "We are expecting. Triplets."

"Wow." Nikolas summoned up a genuine smile, his friend looked happy. He was happy for her, and he reaffirmed his decision to not ask her to take Spencer. With three babies on the way her hands would be full. "Congratulations."

"Thanks." Liz said smiling wider. "Next time you see me I'll be bigger."

"I imagine so. Still beautiful though." He said making her blush some, and Jason scowl.

"What brings you by today?" Liz thought he looked tired. "Is everything alright?"

"Everything is good. Busy." Nikolas didn't want her worrying about him. He knew he looked a bit rough, sleeping was hard for him lately. The headaches were getting worse. "I had a touch of the flu last week, but I'm good now."

"Did Spencer get it as well?" Elizabeth guessed. It was close to Thanksgiving and the flu normally popped up in children around this time of year.

"He did, but he shook it off too." Nikolas lied. "I need to get upstairs for a meeting, and you need to get in a warm car." They were standing in the garage which probably made Jason and the guard antsy.

"Call me if you need anything." Liz said placing a hand on his arm and giving it a light squeeze.

"I will." Nikolas said not meaning it. "Bye." He said pushing the call button and stepping onto the elevator.

Liz watched him before their group headed to the cars. "We should have Spencer out to the house."

"Does he get along with Cameron?" Jason couldn't recall seeing the two boys together. His son had quite a few playdates during the week, most with Lila Rae. There hadn't been any with Nikolas's son since they returned home.

"Not really." Liz admitted getting into the car. "Spencer is almost a year older than Cameron and he is going through a phase where he doesn't like to share the spotlight. It's normal, he's an only child who spends more time with adults than kids his own age. Nikolas needs to get Spencer off of Spoon Island more. Sending him to daycare would do wonders but right now Spencer is being watched by a nanny full time."

"I guess we need to look into preschool for Cameron?" Jason had no idea what that entailed.

"Not just yet." Liz patted his knee. "We can wait until the summer after he turns three. I figure he'll be going to Port Charles Academy." She wasn't going to argue, Jason would want the kids somewhere secure.

"I think that was where I went to school. I'll have to ask Lila. Morgan goes there, so does Michael." Jason missed the boys and maybe when they were older they might be a part of his life again.

Liz rested her head on Jason's shoulder knowing what he was thinking. It was sad that things with Michael had reached the point where Jason had to stay away. "Any requests on my outfit for Thanksgiving?" Marco was taking them to the warehouse where he would drop off Jason, Cody hadn't tagged along for this visit, and then she was going shopping.

"No, whatever you get you will look lovely in." Jason said kissing her temple. "Are you going home after that?"

Liz shook her head. "I'm meeting Chloe for lunch. She wants to talk about the job opportunity. I'm interested in what she has up her sleeve."

"Don't let her pressure you into anything." Jason didn't want Liz stressed.

"She won't. I'd like something to do while I'm home. When I'm not eating or sleeping I can be productive." Liz said giggling. The new nanny, was working out really well.

Marco parked the car and Jason leaned over giving Elizabeth a kiss. "Don't break Marco."

"I promise." She said with a mischievous grin. "He has the bail money."

Jason just shook his head getting out of the car. He watched as Marco helped Elizabeth move to the front seat. His girl waved as they pulled off and Jason headed into the warehouse.

* * *

Skye sat at her desk and tried not to pretend that she wasn't nervous about the coming meeting. She had no idea what Monica could possibly want. That wasn't true, if Skye had to guess she would say that her stepmother wanted to know how long they were here for. Francis taking the CEO position at ELQ should have already answered that question. This was home, they weren't leaving again.

"Mrs. Corelli, Dr. Quartermaine is here." Skye's assistant called back.

"Send her through." Skye said standing. She waited for the door to close again before speaking. "Monica, what can I do for you?" Pleasantries were not extended.

"I came to offer an apology. For my behavior." Monica had given Emily's words a lot of thought over the last two weeks. Everything her youngest child had said was correct.

"Really? Whose idea was it?" Skye wanted to know. This type of sudden turnaround was rarely self-motivated.

"I had it pointed out to me by Emily that I was being a bitch. To the wrong person." Monica wasn't going to lie. "She left me with a lot to think of."

Skye just nodded. "Emily is a good person."

"She is. I'd like to try again." Monica told her husband's daughter. "Have I done too much damage for that to happen?"

"I will accept your apology, but there is zero chance of us having any type of relationship." Skye said surprising the older woman. "I get why you were angry when I first showed up. No wife wants proof that her husband slept around on her. Again." The redhead noted, because Jason was a reminder too. "So you were entitled to lash out, but that was three years ago Monica. Three years of you treating me like I was something that needed to be scraped off the bottom of your shoe. I didn't deserve that. I came here looking for family with my heart in my hands, and you stomped on it. Repeatedly. Hell even Tracy treats me nice now, mainly because I'm not looking to be put in anyone's will. The only reason I didn't call you out before was because I was worried you would keep Alan from getting to know my daughter." Skye had been holding this in for years.

Monica just stood there and let Skye have her say. Something she was entitled to.

"I can be civil when the family is together. For Emily, because she loves us both. However you and I don't need to speak to one another the rest of the time." Skye said letting her temper lose. "You can put me in the same category you have my aunt in. Someone you tolerate because you just happen to be family."

"I had that coming." Monica could admit that.

"You did." Skye said in agreement. "Thank you for not treating Lila Rae the way you treated me." Skye could admit that Monica wasn't totally evil. Lila Rae would never feel less than Cameron or any of the other children in the family.

"Alan wouldn't have tolerated that. He shouldn't have tolerated how I treated you for as long as he did." Monica was surprised that her husband hadn't called her out before he got sick.

"I asked him not to interfere in our relationship." Skye told the older woman. "We were either going to find our way on our own or not at all. I didn't want someone who hated me hiding behind a false smile. I got enough of that growing up."

"What should I tell Emily?" Monica knew her daughter was hoping for one big happy family.

"Tell her we came to an understanding." Skye said crossing her arms over her chest. "I don't need you in my life, and you don't want me in yours. Otherwise you wouldn't have needed Emily to push you into apologizing." For Skye that was the most telling thing of all. Hopefully things with Liz were going as good as they seemed. "Did you need anything else?"

"No, I guess that's everything." Monica said before leaving the office. It was ironic that she finally found herself respecting Skye. The woman had held her own and spoke her mind. An opportunity wasted because of petty jealous and anger.

In her office Skye sat down behind her desk and closed her eyes breathing deeply. She had spent a lot of her first year here trying to find a way to make Monica accept her. It wasn't until Skye became pregnant that she realized the futility of that endeavor. Monica would either come around on her own or it wasn't going to happen. Skye had reached a happy place in her life, and she wasn't going to spend another second worrying whether Monica did or didn't like her because despite the visit Skye didn't think the older woman had really changed her mind. "Shake it off and move forward." She said reaching for a proposal. Later tonight she would talk with her hubby and then put this away for good.

* * *

"I made it." Chloe said laughing as she took a seat. "It seemed like a long walk from the parking lot." She had to stop off in the loo as well, which added to her time.

"No need to rush." Liz said grinning.

"I like that sweater, that shade of gray looks good on you." Chloe was dressed casually as well because she was working from home. "Have you ordered?"

"Just something to drink. I haven't been waiting that long." Liz waited while Chloe ordered a beverage. They were both perusing the menu. "What are you craving this week?"

"Ketchup. I'm putting it on everything. No clue why though." The designer shook her head. "I normally never use it. You?"

"Eggplant. Grilled. I think Jason is starting to get sick of it. We have it at most meals." Liz grinned.

"How very healthy of you." Chloe said with much respect.

"I went through a Kelly's chili phase, so I tell myself it balances out in the end." Liz knew that at some point something else would replace the eggplant.

Making her selection Chloe put down her menu. When Liz did the same a few moments later the waiter arrived and took their orders. "So let's get right to it so we can spend the rest of lunch talking about fun stuff."

"Okay." Liz figured they would be talking about Chloe's upcoming shower. It was a few days before Thanksgiving. They might also be talking about the odds of them getting to eat any turkey on the holiday. "What did you have in mind?"

"Have you ever given any thought to becoming an illustrator?" Chloe thought Liz was amazingly talented. Lila Rae had some framed sketches in her room of her favorite cartoon characters that Liz had done. If her friend wasn't pregnant all the kids would probably have murals on their walls.

"No." Liz said sipping her drink. "Not at all."

"No interest?" Chloe wasn't going to push the idea if Liz hated it.

"I've just never given it any thought." Liz said leaning back in her chair. "I honestly figured that they did most graphics on computers these days."

"That's not the case, it's still mostly done the old fashioned way. By hand." Chloe knew the head of the biggest illustrator's agency in the world which was based in New York. "You would be stellar at it."

"I wouldn't know how to get started, but I'm guessing you do?" Liz said with a smirk.

"Of course I do." Chloe said smiling wide. "I'd be happy to make some introductions. You could do as much or as little as you like." Although the designer was guessing her cousin was very quickly going to be in demand.

"And I could do it from home." Which really appealed to Liz. "Plus still paint."

"Exactly." Chloe said taking a sip of her drink. Herbal tea wasn't her favorite but caffeine was down to one cup. Without coffee in the morning she might kill Johnny, he was just way too chipper.

"I'll give it some thought." Liz promised as their meals came. Marco and Ritchie were sitting at a nearby table and their food was also arriving.

"Good. Now tell me about your appointment and then we can discuss what you are wearing to Thanksgiving dinner so I don't wear the same color." Chloe said picking up her fork.

* * *

Thanks for the reviews!


	28. Chapter 28

ABC/DISNEY owns GH. No copyright infringement is intended.

Not Safe For Work

* * *

Chapter 28

Elizabeth woke up in her husband's arms. Not an uncommon way to begin the day. His hand was splayed across her belly, which seemed to have doubled in the time since they learned about the multiples. She was three and a half months pregnant but looked much further along. At lunch a couple of weeks ago her tummy was almost the same size as Chloe's who was entering her last trimester.

"What are you thinking so hard about?" Jason asked quietly. He'd been up for a while just enjoying having her so close. Since she was up he rubbed her tummy which he knew she liked.

"Mmm. That feels good." She said relaxing under his touch. "I was just thinking about my ever expanding belly." She didn't bother to turn over, but did shift to remove the tiny space that was between them.

"I think your belly is sexy." Jason said kissing her shoulder.

"I have noticed that you can't seem to keep your hands off of it." Liz said on a small laugh. It was fantastic that Jason loved her changing body, a woman had more important things to worry about when she was pregnant than being attractive. She knew firsthand how hurtful it was to have a partner who was critical.

"It amazes me that together we created three lives, and under my hand they are growing. You amaze me as well, not only are you protecting the babies but you are still taking care of me and Cameron. I'm proud to be your husband Elizabeth Morgan." He finished up.

She started crying. The tears just wouldn't be denied. His love and support were everything to her.

Jason just pulled her closer and let her get it out. While he did find her tearing up at odd moments actual crying hadn't really happened that much. He figured mood swings would come when they got further into the pregnancy and Elizabeth was more uncomfortable, but at the moment she was pretty calm. "Are you ready for Thanksgiving at the Quartermaine's?"

"I am. I have my heartburn pills all set to go. I haven't had pizza in a while." Liz said rolling over. When she did Jason wiped away the tears that were still on her cheeks. "Last year Emily told me she hasn't had turkey on this day since moving to Port Charles." Even when she was married they went to the mansion for the holiday.

"I'm going to miss having turkey this year. Sonny made a killer bird." Jason always took the time to rub it in his sister's face that he got turkey. It was one of the highlights of his year. "I wonder how the poultry will bite the dust this time. From what I understand it never happens the same way twice."

"That's just incredible." Liz said leaning forward and kissing him lightly. "I have a turkey downstairs, I plan on cooking it tomorrow. Can't have my guy missing out." She was going to make all the sides too.

"You spoil me." Jason said kissing her too.

"That's the plan." She said letting her hands roam his upper body. This morning she was feeling really good, and was thinking that it would be nice for them to be together. It had been almost a week, and he had been very understanding about the fact that she was tired a lot. Her lips found their way to the hollow of his neck. "I have other plans for this morning too."

"Is that right?" Jason said tilting his head back. His body was already responding to her attention. Despite wanting her all the time he never pushed for sex. He got that she was working hard, and he was a big boy who could take care of himself. Honestly though, just holding her in his arms was the most satisfying thing there was. But if she was interested then he wasn't going to tell her no.

"I'm sorry I've been neglecting you." Liz said letting her lips roam. "I've been tired."

"I'm…not feeling neglected." Jason said as his hands tightened on her hips. "I…mmm…know you are…right there…tired." She was kissing the underside of his jaw and for some reason that spot made him hot.

"I'm not tired now." Liz said with a wicked grin. "Cameron won't be up for another hour." Having a toddler also affected their sex life. A couple of times when she was feeling good their son demanded their focus. "We should take advantage of that."

Jason took her mouth in a deep kiss as his hands cupped her bottom. Her belly was already big enough to mean no missionary. "Which position do you want to use?" He asked as his kissed her neck. They had tried a few already. They had started with her on her back with him standing beside the bed in a modified missionary but she hadn't really enjoyed that. Him behind her worked, so did her on top.

"Lotus." Liz said arching when his hands gently massaged her breasts. "Now!" She demanded pushing on his shorts.

He rolled to his back and undressed while his wife removed her night shirt. Jason sat up and helped her onto his lap. For this position she would wrap her legs around his hips. They wouldn't be able to do this much longer because of her belly, but for this morning it still worked. He really liked making love this way because it gave him easy access to her breasts. Always a good thing.

"Inside me." Elizabeth said feeling like she was ready to explode.

Jason just chuckled as he reached between them and slowly stroked over her drenched center. "There is no rush." He liked teasing her.

"Oh!" Elizabeth moaned as his fingers pushed her higher. His lips captured a hard nipple and gently sucked. Too much stimulation hurt, but the right amount was pure pleasure. "Yes." She said moving against his hand.

"You are so beautiful." Jason said burying his face in the valley between her breasts. "I love how you don't hide yourself from me when we are together like this. How you give me everything. Show it to me. Show me how much you love being with me."

Elizabeth shattered calling out his name, holding out wasn't even going to happen. It was simply too much to fight. Her head dropped to his shoulder as she shifted forward and welcomed him into her body. Her arms wrapped around her husband's body as her hips started moving.

Jason leaned back so that his shoulders rested on the headboard because this would be more comfortable for Elizabeth. He planted his feet on the mattress and pushed up in the rhythm that she set. Her body holding his was almost more pleasure then he could stand. The emotional connection that they shared made their physical connection much more intense than anything he had ever experienced, anything he would ever experience with anyone else. She was who he was meant to be with, and he wasn't ever going to let her go.

Elizabeth tightened her internal muscles and when Jason groaned she did it again. "Fill me up Jason. Don't hold back." She whispered in his ear.

"Elizabeth." Jason moaned as he gave into her request. Opening his brilliant blue eyes he watched as his wife came a second time. Letting the joy of the moment fill him completely.

Carefully he helped her back to the bed where they shared soft kisses. "Feel good?" She wanted to know. It was important that his needs got met too.

"Amazing. It's always amazing." Jason promised her. "Do you want to take a nap?"

"No." Liz said feeling sated. "How about an early breakfast? Just you and me."

"I like the sound of that." Jason would love to give his girl some early morning romance. "Let's get clean and I'll make us something."

* * *

"So what do you want to wear today?" Jason asked his son. Cameron was standing in his crib watching as his dad looked through the closet. They had a leisurely day at the house and now it was time to get ready to go to the Quartermaine's. "I'm wearing blue, not jeans though which would be nice." This was a dress occasion, so he had on nice pants and a button down shirt. "Would you like to wear blue too?"

Cameron just laughed.

"Is that a yes?" Jason laughed too. Cameron seemed to really like it when they had their chats. "I have no idea what mommy is going to wear, but I know she's going to beautiful. She's always beautiful." Jason was going to teach his children how to treat the special person in their lives, not just with words but with actions. "I'm making an executive decision, no dress stuff for you. How's that sound buddy, I mean you aren't even two yet, you should be comfortable." Jason said picking an outfit.

Cameron was still grinning watching his dad. "Daddy."

"Yeah?" Jason loved hearing that. He walked over and Cameron held up his arms. The only reason he put his son in the crib was because the little boy had a daredevil streak. He would jump off of the top of the dresser if left unsupervised.

"Mommy." Cameron said pointing to the door.

"We'll get you dressed and then go find her." Jason said reaching for the first article of clothing.

* * *

"I'm all set. Don't you two look handsome?" Elizabeth said coming into the living room. She was holding back a laugh at what her husband had put their son in. Cameron recently went through a growth spurt so she had gone out shopping picking up some cute outfits. This afternoon Cameron was in a three piece set from that trip. A blue t-shirt that read I get my charm from daddy, a gray onesie that asked can you handle this cuteness which you couldn't see, and blue and white striped pants. The pieces were separates and normally you wouldn't wear the onesie and t-shirt at the same time but she wasn't going to change a thing. With his dad in dark blue dress pants and a cobalt blue top they made quite the statement.

"You look beautiful." Jason smiled at her.

"Thank you." Elizabeth beamed with the praise. "I wanted something that would show off my bump a little more, but I'm between sizes so this is the best I could do." Still you could see she was expecting. The bright coral short sleeved dress was comfortable, but dressy enough for a dinner of this nature. She was in black suede shoes and diamond studs to finish the look.

"I have something for you." Jason said standing up and reaching into his pocket he removed an eternity band. "Since you can't wear your wedding set anymore I bought you this. I measured your finger while you were sleeping. When this pregnancy is over we can have this fitted for your right hand." That way she could still wear it.

"It's beautiful." Elizabeth said giving him a radiant smile. "My hand was feeling naked." She admitted. It felt wonderful on her finger, but the odds were good that before she gave birth this ring wouldn't fit either. She went up on her toes a bit and was met for a quick kiss. "We should get going."

Jason looked at the clock and nodded. "Come on buddy, time to head out."

"Out." Cameron repeated.

"You heard him." Elizabeth said giving him a kiss on the cheek which made her son laugh before they headed to the car.

* * *

"Hello Mr. Jason and Mrs. Elizabeth. You look lovely Mrs. Elizabeth." Alice said as she took their coats.

"Thank you Alice." Liz smiled at the maid. "How are you?"

"I'm good thank you. How are the little ones?" Alice asked as she waved at Cameron who hid his face against his dad's neck before peeking back.

"Good thank you." Liz said running her hands over Cam's curls.

"The family is in the parlor." Alice said as she hung up everyone's coats. "Pizza will be here in about an hour."

"The turkey is a no go?" Jason asked with a smirk.

"I will let Mrs. Lila tell you what happened." The maid smiled. "This one will be hard to top." She said before moving off.

The Morgans exchanged a glance before heading into the front room. "Hello." Liz said already getting a hug from Francis and Skye. Johnny and Chloe were next, followed by Emily and Dante. Liz walked over and gave Alan a kiss to his cheek, then a smile for Monica, followed by a kiss to Lila's cheek. With everyone greeted she sat and took the sparkling water from Reginald. "So what happened to the turkey?"

"Have you ever seen the movie A Christmas Story?" Lila asked shaking her head.

"No." Jason replied but his wife was already laughing. "I'm guessing Elizabeth has."

"You don't have dogs. Or neighbors close enough for their dogs to be an issue." Liz managed to get out. She knew instantly what scene her grandmother was referring to. The mother in the movie had put the bird on the table to cool and the neighbor's bloodhounds burst through the door making off with it.

"No, but this is upstate New York and we have mountain lions." Lila said arching a brow. "Cook had the back door open to air out the kitchen since it is such a lovely day." For the region it was balmy considering it was late November.

"Oh man." Johnny was wiping away tears. "Holidays in this family never get old."

"I think folks in New Jersey heard Cook screaming." Emily had come running from her room thinking someone was committing murder.

"How is it you are able to get pizza today? Everything is closed." Chloe pointed out. Like Johnny she had not grown up celebrating the holiday. So the loss of the turkey wasn't traumatic.

"The pizza shop we order from opens every year to cook just for us." Alan explained. This year he would be having salad. "We pay catering prices so that it's worth their while to do so." They also gave a generous tip.

"Have you considered having the meal catered?" Dante wanted to know. Emily had spent the lunch date yesterday telling him how the turkeys died over the years. Dante was fascinated. He'd never heard anything like this.

"We tried that." Lila told him. "The driver ran off the road and ended up in a ditch. He wasn't hurt, but the meal was ruined."

"How about next year we have everyone out to our house for Thanksgiving?" Skye offered. Maybe that would help.

"Okay." Monica had been on her best behavior with her stepdaughter today. So Emily hadn't needed to do any glaring.

"We'll take the year after that." Liz offered. They could start a new tradition.

"If Johnny is willing to cook we will take the year following Liz." Chloe volunteered. She couldn't boil water and the family all knew it.

"That sounds lovely." Lila smiled at her grandchildren, and her cousins. This was what family was all about traditions, old and new. It was something truly to be thankful for. "I've missed turkey, this year was especially cruel as we could actually smell it." The older woman said wistfully.

Around the parlor the younger generation of the family just laughed. Like Johnny said, holidays with the Qs never got old.

* * *

Thanks for the reviews!


	29. Chapter 29

ABC/DISNEY owns GH. No copyright infringement is intended.

* * *

Chapter 29

"Turn him around." Liz requested of her husband and she removed Cameron's outer wear. They were in the elevator riding up to the General Hospital Christmas party. She wanted her son's coat off now because it would just be easier. He would be squirming with excitement once the elevator doors opened and he saw all the decorations.

Jason did as instructed and when Elizabeth was done he put their son on his feet. "Should I take Cameron right to the play area?" The mob boss wanted to know.

"You can try." Liz said with a wide smile as she got out of her coat with Marco's assistance. Her guard would be sticking close to her while Lee would be keeping a close watch on Cameron. The party was for the children who couldn't leave the medical center and their families, which meant a lot of strangers were in attendance. "Folks are going to want to kiss on Cameron so be prepared to get stopped a lot."

"He has a hard life." Jason said smiling down at his son. They were both in blue jeans today. Cameron was wearing a red plaid top with his, while Jason was in a midnight blue button down shirt. "You look pretty." He said taking in her outfit.

"Thank you." Liz said placing a hand on her tummy. She was in a blue stripped fine knit cotton dress with a ribbon belt. Her belly was at the point that there was simply no hiding it, so she had gone with a more body conscious maternity look. At the same time she wanted to be comfortable and this dress delivered. She was going to wear something else but wanted to match her guys so this garment got the nod.

The door opened and the sounds of the party underscored by Christmas music filled the air. "I love this time of year." Liz said smiling. Their house was already decorated for the holiday which was next week.

Jason picked up his son and escorted his family out of the elevator. "For a long time my favorite Christmas was the one I spent in your studio. I know that seems odd because I was injured. Being with you made it great. I think this year I will finally replace that memory with a new one."

"Jason." Elizabeth said wiping away tears. At times the man was simply too much. "I used the paper chains we made until they fell apart." She confessed quietly. "But I still have one link in my memory box."

"Tomorrow we should make a new chain and use it to decorate the banister." Jason suggested. That would be fun to do with Cameron.

"It's a date." Liz told him leaning forward and giving him a soft kiss.

"There is no mistletoe here." Johnny said interrupting them. "All kissing at the party has to be done under the mistletoe." That was an actual rule and posted on the wall. Apparently a good number of the kids present thought kissing was gross. That was the only way they would allow it. The Irish guard noted that there was only one sprig of the plant in the entire area.

"We aren't in the party yet." Jason said with a smirk. "We are still standing in the hall. The party is over there."

"Dang, why didn't I think of that?" Johnny looked around the room for his wife. "Bye."

"You are a troublemaker." Liz said shaking her head.

"You said the same thing yesterday in the toy store." Jason said with an unrepentant grin. He had spent an insane amount of money on Cameron and Lila Rae. He also picked up a few things for Michael, Morgan, Kristina, and Molly. The packages had been dropped off at the post office yesterday.

Things in Australia were rocky at the moment. From what Lady Jane told Lila, Jax was going to file divorce papers after the holiday season ended. Everyone was expecting a hellacious custody battle, which Carly was going to lose. Jason would be happy to help that along if necessary. Jax was planning on staying in his native country with the boys, but not with Brenda like the tabloids were reporting. When the custody hearing started Jason expected Carly to forget she wasn't supposed to contact him, Lila had requested to be notified when that happened. Jason had no problem turning that situation over to his grandmother. She would probably get Cody to act as her assistant. The enforcer was a regular at tea these days.

Jerry however was fairing much better. He was happy with Alexis and the girls. He had agreed with Maximus's decree that there would be no more trips to Port Charles, ever. If Jerry violated that rule then Jason would be free to dish out any retribution that he felt was due. Not for Sonny, but for placing Elizabeth, Emily, and Alan in danger. Since Alexis and Nikolas no longer spoke to one another thanks to Sam. Nik felt Alexis needed to walk away from the con artist his aunt refused, she didn't want to return to the Port Charles area either. Which made things easier.

"I'm going to go chat with Em." Liz had told herself to let Jason do what he pleased this year. It was his first as a dad, but next year they were not buying as many gifts as they had yesterday. She wasn't raising spoiled children. "Behave."

Jason just grinned and headed for the play area.

* * *

"You made it." Emily said giving her sister a discreet looking over. She looked good. "Hi babies." The young doctor said talking to the bump.

"There's a good turnout this year." Liz said looking around the room. This was always the highlight of the year for the staff. She usually worked this event. First as a volunteer, which brought to mind the infamous elf outfit, then as a nurse. The last few years she had been head of the gift wrapping committee which was always a blast. Next year she would be back to volunteering.

"A good many of the kids could actually attend." Emily said smiling. "They are already hyped about Santa making an appearance." There was one gift for every child under the tree. "Is Max nervous?" She asked in a whisper.

"No." Elizabeth said shaking her head. The Morgans had gone over to Max and Diane's house before coming to the hospital. Liz had put on his beard, eyebrows, and wig. She also did his cheeks applying a bit of blush to give him a rosy look. "He's super excited to get to do this." They actually had to pull the name of who got to play Santa from a hat because almost all the Morgan guys volunteered.

"My dad was thrilled when Steven called to ask him to read." Emily had tracked down her Chief of Staff and given him a hug for that. Alan missed work, and this would help.

"Elizabeth Webber, what exactly do you think you are doing?" Came the female voice.

Both Liz and Emily turned to see Kelly standing there with her arms crossed over her chest and one perfectly sculpted brow raised. "Talking with Em." Liz replied confused.

Kelly pointed. "What are those?"

"I assume you mean my shoes." Liz couldn't actually see her feet anymore. "They are cute aren't they? I got them on sale." Dark blue suede Mary Jane styled shoes with stiletto heels. It had been love at first sight.

"Heels?" Kelly's hands moved to her hips.

"What?" Liz asked confused. "I wore heels throughout my pregnancy with Cameron." It wasn't like she was having balance issues or dizzy spell.

"You are having multiples." Kelly told her friend. "No heels. Come with me." The doctor said turning and walking away expecting her friend to follow. They ended up in the ladies room. "Sit." Kelly instructed and when Liz did she picked up her friend's feet and removed the shoes.

"Am I supposed to walk around barefoot now?" Liz said with plenty of attitude.

"Don't you sass me." Kelly said with a glare. "I will have your ass in a hospital bed before the hour is out. Your blood pressure is already creeping up, I told you at the last visit I wanted you taking it easier. That doesn't mean running around in three inch heels. If you do get dizzy you are guaranteed to go down in these things."

"Fine." Liz said starting to pout. She knew the threat about the hospital bed was one Kelly had no problem backing up. At the last visit the ob/gyn had frowned several times and started putting in mild restrictions. Liz knew at the next visit there would be more things added to that list.

Kelly pulled out her phone and called Cody. "Jason needs to send a runner to his house to get shoes for Liz. Flat shoes."

"What crawled up your ass?" Liz wanted to know when her friend hung up. If Kelly wanted her in flats fine, but she didn't have to be a bitch about it. Emily had been sitting silently taking all this in.

"One of my patients is upstairs because she was running around in boots with four inch heels. She tripped when her heel got caught in some loose carpeting that she didn't see because she can't see the ground. I told her to put the heels away because she fell early on in her pregnancy, but she didn't listen." Kelly said taking a deep breath. "Now her baby is in NICU because she took a nasty fall and he was born six weeks early. He will hopefully make it, your babies will not if you fall. They are just too small. No more heels."

Liz turned her attitude down a few notches. "No more heels." She agreed. As a medical professional you did your best to leave the job at the hospital, but it didn't always work. Some cases just hung on.

"What's wrong?" Jason asked walking into the lounge.

"Ladies room." Emily told her brother.

Jason ignored her. "Why does Kelly want you to change shoes?" He wanted to know. "Did you fall?"

"Come on I'll explain." Emily said giving him a push. They were in the part of the bathroom with the chairs, but there were ladies in the part with the stalls. The last thing her brother needed was to have security escort him out. "Go."

"I'll be out when my shoes arrive." Liz promised her husband. With a look between the ladies he followed Em out. "I'm sorry." Elizabeth told her friend. The heels weren't necessary, she just wanted to wear her cute shoes.

"I'm sorry too. I shouldn't have snapped so hard." Kelly sighed as she sat down. "You do need to be extra careful, you know that." It was just a fact that Liz's pregnancy had more restrictions than a single birth. "You're doing well, but we have a long way to go." Kelly thrived on high risk situations, like most specialist she was a bit of an adrenaline junkie. However Liz was family and that meant the stakes were ever higher. "I don't want you in the hospital any sooner than necessary. Nice dress by the way."

"Thanks. I'm going to be wearing bed sheets soon." She was already in clothes someone who was at the end of their pregnancy would wear despite this only being month four.

"Egyptian cotton togas." Kelly said giving it some thought. "You could totally rock that. I will give you the name of some websites for woman expecting multiples. You can find them on your own, this way will just be faster. According to other multiple mommies stick with dresses they are just easier to get in and out of."

"Jason is already putting on my shoes." Liz said shifting to get comfortable. He also had to help her with her underwear too. "I figured I would end up wearing Muumuus at the house most of the time." Pretty soon trips out were going to stop, unless they were heading to the doctor. Liz knew that Marco's blood pressure went up whenever they left the house.

* * *

Emily walked back in with a box about fifteen minutes after she left. "Those runners are quick." It didn't hurt that the Morgan house was close to the hospital. Kelly and Liz were settled on the sofa. "One pair of shoes."

Liz slipped on the dark blue padded flats. "I need to get outside before Jason has a cow."

"He just took Cameron into the men's room for a diaper change." Emily said giving Liz a hand up. "Wow, you are really short."

"Ha ha." The former nurse said following her best friend out of the restroom. "It's good to get moving, I was falling asleep." They stepped back into the noise of the party and Liz froze. "What is he doing here?" Standing there big as life was Andre, Helena's henchman.

"I had the same reaction. I starting looking for the old bat." Emily said quietly. "I didn't believe it when Nikolas said she was dead."

"Me either." Liz looked at her friend. "He still shouldn't be here."

"Andre brought Spencer to the party. Apparently Nikolas couldn't attend." Emily shared what she knew. Despite not being social Nikolas normally came to this party. This year he was underwriting the event so it was expected he would also say a few words. "I haven't seen him in a while, have you?"

"Not for about a month. We've texted back and forth frequently, but no face to face conversations. The last time I saw him he looked tired." Liz recalled their unplanned meeting. "I was with Jason so we didn't talk much." She was aware that her husband and friend didn't like each other. "I will need to go over to Wyndamere and drag him from his cave." This wouldn't be the first time she undertook such a mission.

"Kelly will skin you alive if you get on that launch." Emily said starting to laugh. "I will go." Only for Liz's peace of mind would she make this trip. "In exchange you will get me a fantastic birthday present next month. I mean something truly spectacular."

"Deal. Thank you." Liz already had Em's birthday present, and it just happened to fit those parameters already. "There are my guys, go mingle."

"There are some sugar cookies waiting for me to eat them." Emily said heading to the snack table.

"Everything okay?" Jason asked looking her over. Francis and Johnny had come over to keep him out of the ladies room after Em pushed him out. Cody's request for new shoes, made by Kelly, had the mob boss ready to panic. Most things about this pregnancy had Jason on a low simmer. He was doing his best to keep that from his wife.

"Everything is fine. Kelly said no more heels." Liz would leave out the story of the falling mom.

"Okay." Jason smiled as Monica walked over and took Cameron from him without a word. "I've spent most of the party separated from my son. He dumped me for Lila Rae, and then Epiphany took him. I wasn't brave enough to tell her no." He said laughing. "Then Nadine took him, now Monica has him. I don't suppose you are ready to leave?" He could have his son all to himself at the house.

"I want to hear your dad read and see Santa." Liz said smiling. "I have a few last minute items I want to request."

"We both know you are on the naughty list." He teased his beautiful wife.

"I know, the things I want will guarantee that doesn't change." She said in a sultry whisper.

"Behave, we are surrounded by children." He told her maintaining control.

She gave him an innocent smile. "I need to get something to drink and then to sit before I get in trouble with Kelly again." She said moving off.

"She's gonna kill me." Jason said to himself with a smile following his wife across the room.

* * *

Thanks for the reviews!


	30. Chapter 30

ABC/DISNEY owns GH. No copyright infringement is intended.

* * *

Chapter 30

Emily went out to Spoon Island two days after the holiday party and was told that Nikolas and Spencer were not in residence by Alfred. According to the butler the father and son would be back in roughly one month's time. From her time as his wife Emily knew that Nikolas often traveled during the holiday season, she just had hoped to catch him before he left.

The young doctor officially began her new residency finding it to be a better fit, hung out with her sisters, her cousin Chloe, and her boyfriend Dante. Things in that area were going great, and the new hours meant that they were able to go out on more dates. Three weeks after her trip to Wyndamere she saw Andre out and about with Spencer. That still made her shake her head. Nikolas had mentioned on more than one occasion not trusting the older blonde man, yet he was letting him go out alone with his son. With them back she could make her promised visit to make sure everything was fine, because Liz was still worried.

Emily rode the launch over, staying in the interior cabin. January made for a frigid ride. "Hello." She said to Alfred when he opened the door. "I saw Spencer a few days ago so I thought I would come back out."

"Dr. Quartermaine, do come in." Alfred was always formal when greeting guests. Even ones he used to work for. "Nikolas is in his office."

"Andre isn't sulking around is he?" Emily asked with real distaste. A face to face meeting was not something she wanted.

"He is out." Alfred said with a straight face.

Emily bit the inside of her cheek to keep from laughing. The butler wasn't a fan either. Which was in line with his thinking on Helena. The young doctor followed Alfred up to the office despite knowing where it was. Protocol dictated that she was announced.

Alfred knocked before opening the door.

"Nikolas!" Emily said rushing into the room. Her ex-husband was face down on the floor. "Call the launch." She instructed reaching for her phone. "This is Dr. Emily Quartermaine. I need an ambulance to meet me at the private dock at the north end of the pier. I have an unconscious and unresponsive male in his thirties. No outward sign of injury. Elevated heartbeat, and rapid respiration." She kept her voice steady but she had been horrified when she turned him over with Alfred's help.

Liz said he looked tired the last time she saw him, now the only word that could describe his appearance was haggard. His skin was a sickly shade of pale. He had dark circles under his eyes, and had lost a significant amount of weight. "What's wrong with him?" She asked Alfred.

"I don't know." The butler confessed. "He won't tell me." In fact Nikolas hadn't admitted to being sick until he had no choice. "The trip to Europe was to visit a clinic in Switzerland. I know that he has been seeing Patrick Drake regularly."

"We need to get Nikolas to the launch." Emily said checking for a fever.

"I'll get his wheelchair." Alfred said moving to the closet.

"Is it that bad?" Emily asked frowning.

"Not always, but more and more often he needs to use the chair." Alfred helped Emily get his boss off the floor.

"Where is Spencer?" Emily wanted Alfred to come with her to answer any questions. They would need to page Patrick as well.

"Swimming lesson." Alfred said grabbing a blanket. After handing it over he went to the large desk in the room and removed an envelope. They would need this. He could make the call that was necessary on the way to the hospital.

"Good. Let's go." Emily said practically running out the door.

* * *

Jason helped his wife down from the exam table and then handed her the pink dress she wore to the hospital. The appointment had gone well. The babies were small, but other than that Kelly was seeing everything she wanted. Their organs were developing on schedule and their heartbeats were strong. Genders had happened for only one of their children. They would be welcoming another son into their family so they could start thinking up names.

Liz had warned Jason that Kelly was most likely going to say no more sex at this visit, and she was proven correct. The decree was put in place because Liz's blood pressure had crept higher in the two weeks since they had last been here. While it was only a few points it was enough for the doctor to decide it was time for weekly visits. As well as modified bed rest. Liz was now to spend more time off her feet than on them.

"You okay over there?" Liz asked as she pulled on her bright pink maternity dress. The websites Kelly recommended had yielded some cute outfits. Liz joked she picked this one hoping to inspire at least one of the babies to be a girl. She slipped her feet into the black and white striped ballet flats that were on the floor. In her ears were ruby and diamond earrings because the eternity band no longer fit.

"A little worried." Jason wasn't going to hide this from his wife. "I was hoping your blood pressure would be better." He spent a good amount of time looking at his wife's ankles. Swelling there was an indicator she was overdoing it. Elizabeth was good about letting folks help her, but from time to time he had to steer her to the couch with orders to take it easy.

"I was too." Elizabeth said linking their fingers as they walked out to where Marco and Cody were waiting. They needed to make an appointment before heading home. "Hopefully my staying still more will keep it from going any higher." Liz knew that if it crept up again she was going to be put on total bedrest, which would drive Jason's blood pressure up. "I have plenty to do to keep me from losing my mind during all that sitting."

"Looking forward to that are you?" Jason asked taking the appointment reminder card.

"I am." Elizabeth confirmed. She had called Chloe after the New Year and said she was interested in trying her hand at illustrating. The designer put Liz in contact with a good friend of hers. Samples of sketches and drawings were submitted and Liz was matched with an author. A brand new author whose first book, about a little boy named Billy who goes on a magical quest, had just been accepted for publication.

A copy of the book was emailed to her yesterday. She could spend tomorrow afternoon reading it and seeing what visuals it inspired. Then she would start sketching. Both things she could do in the recliner with her feet up.

"I know you'll be amazing at your new career. Just like you are amazing at everything you do." He said before kissing her knuckles.

Elizabeth blushed as her phone beeped. Then she frowned reading the message. "Emily is bring in Nikolas. She found him unconscious out at Wyndamere. We need to head to the ER."

Jason knew his wife was somewhat worried about her friend. He had left for Europe without saying anything. Which apparently was not normal. "We can go, if you agree to sit." He wasn't normally so pushy, but he wasn't risking her or their children for Cassadine.

"Okay." Liz would worry more if they went home, and if she didn't agree Jason would simply pick her up and take her there. "Come on." She said as the doors opened.

"Wait here." Jason said stopping her before she rushed forward. He went to the nurses' hub in the ER, where Epiphany was working.

Down the hall Liz, Marco, and Cody watched Jason talk with the head nurse. Epiphany looked down the hall and nodded before turning to another nurse. Not a minute later Jason was given a wheelchair.

"Is there something we need to know?" Cody asked Liz. Kelly would give him an update when she got home tonight. His girl had permission to share anything of importance so that Cody could make sure the guards knew any instructions that needed to be followed.

"I need to stay off my feet as much as possible. But I can still move around." Liz added before Marco attempted to tape her down. "I just shouldn't if I can help it."

"No more trips out?" Marco asked not bothering to hide his relief.

"No more trips out." Liz confirmed settling into the chair.

"Good." The guard said as he and Cody followed the Morgans down the hall.

* * *

"Nikolas has been seeing Patrick for months." Emily started there when she walked over to where her brother and sister were waiting. "The trip in December was to a clinic in Switzerland. I'm guessing for a second opinion."

"Why didn't he tell me?" Liz would have stood by him so he didn't have to do this alone.

"You know how he is." Emily said taking a seat. "Kelly tell you to stay off your feet?" She asked pointing to the wheels.

"Yeah. BP is higher than last time." Liz passed along. Emily would be able to fill in the rest.

"Want me to show Jason how to use the cuff?" Emily knew that home checks would be the next step, after which was going to come bed rest.

"Next time you come to visit Cameron bring it with you." Liz told her sister. They saw Patrick's top resident walk into the trauma room. "Did Alfred mention Dr. Brewer, or any of the oncology staff?"

"No. Just Patrick." Emily responded, before she could say anything else Diane walked over. "Hey."

"Hello. I got a call from Alfred." Diane had been asked to head to the hospital stating it was an emergency. Since she didn't have any dealings with Nikolas the request was surprising. "I need to speak with the two of you." She told them. "Can we get some privacy?" She knew the two women wouldn't want to leave the hospital.

"Let me see if we can use Steven's office." Liz said digging out her phone.

"I'll go tell the desk to call my cell when information becomes available." Emily said getting to her feet. For some reason Diane showing up had her more concerned than finding Nikolas on the floor.

* * *

Steven was in his office, but he set the ladies up in the boardroom since it was empty. Jason and the guys were told that they had to sit outside. "Why are you in the wheelchair?" Diane started there.

"Blood pressure is creeping up." Liz gave the short answer.

"Since Jason isn't hooked up to oxygen I will assume everything is under control." The lawyer said opening the envelope. She had skimmed its contents already. "By the way that dress is lovely. You are making pregnancy look good."

"So you want to try it?" Emily asked being a smartass.

"No one can make it look that good." Diane said smiling. Neither she nor Max wanted children. "Ready?" Both women nodded. "Nikolas is dying. He has a rare and aggressive benign tumor that is growing rapidly. He is seeing Dr. Drake, and has sought out the opinions of several other top doctors in the field. They all agree the tumor is inoperable."

Emily pushed the box of tissues across the table to Liz. "Why did you need to see us?" This news made her sad, for Liz it would be devastating.

"Alfred handed me a copy of Nikolas's will when I arrived. The prince had it drawn up in Buffalo by a colleague of mine, Harry Silver. I called Harry and he is on standby to answer your questions, but Nikolas stated in the paperwork that it was fine for me to do this first part. Actually it was preferable since I know both you." The lawyer told them.

"Nikolas's final wishes?" Liz asked in a wobbly voice.

"Yes." Diane didn't normally handle estate issues, but because Liz and Emily were involved would make an exception in this case. "Where would you like to start?"

"You need me for that?" Emily asked surprised. She couldn't figure out what Nikolas would want from her.

"Spencer." Liz told Diane. "His care is the most important matter at the moment. He wasn't home?" The pregnant woman asked her sister.

"Alfred said he is at a swim lesson, with Andre." Emily passed along. "Helena's boy toy being here kind of makes sense now. Although I don't get why Nikolas trusted him and not you."

"During our brief chat Harry told me Nikolas changed his will late last year. Right around the time you returned from your spontaneous trip." Diane said looking at Liz. "All the changes concerned Spencer."

"He's leaving his son in my care?" Liz guessed, that wouldn't be surprising. It might be hard in the beginning because Spencer didn't like Cameron. It wasn't personal, it was just that the Cassadine child was three and not used to spending time with other children. Which was why Liz urged Nik to socialize his son more. It was something that would only get worse with age.

"No." Diane said looking between the two women. "He has appointed you as the trustee of Spencer's trust fund. Nikolas is requesting that you sell Spoon Island. The money from the sale will also be placed in the trust fund, as will the money from the various bank accounts that the Cassadine family holds."

"So he is giving custody of Spencer to Alexis?" Emily asked looking between the lawyer and her sister. "I know they haven't spoken in over a year but at one point they were extremely close." Stefan's death had pulled them even tighter together so it was shocking when Sam destroyed that bond. Honestly the con artist was happy that her mother and her cousin were no longer talking. "She will need to be called."

"Nikolas has left instructions that Alexis is not to be contacted. He mentions her very bad taste in men. Sighting Sonny, Ric, and Jerry as examples of why she is not fit to get custody of his son." It was an argument that would work. Especially if the rumors of a pending engagement between Alexis and Jerry were true.

"So who is getting custody of Spencer? He didn't leave his son with Andre?" Liz asked horrified. "If that is the case we are going to court."

"Nikolas left custody of Spencer to Emily." Diane said looking into the shocked eyes of her client's sister. Then looking into the shocked eyes of her client's wife. Silence settled over the boardroom as the women processed that news.

* * *

Thanks for the reviews!


	31. Chapter 31

ABC/DISNEY owns GH. No copyright infringement is intended.

* * *

Chapter 31

"Me?" Emily finally said. "He left Spencer in my care? Why?"

"Because I married Jason." Liz put the pieces together quickly. "Nikolas is not a fan of your brother."

"Giving me his son still has Jason in Spencer's life." Emily pointed out. "I don't know anything about raising children. I'm not even finished my residency yet. What happens if I say no?"

"Spencer becomes a ward of the state. You are the only guardian named in the will." Diane told the young doctor. "Liz has a claim as Spencer's godmother, but the court will want to know why Nikolas didn't name her in the first place. It will be a large hurdle to overcome. Are you declining guardianship?" Diane would need to call CPS at that point.

Emily leaned back in her chair. "No." She said shaking her head. "I'll take Spencer." There really wasn't any other option. "Will you help me?"

"Of course I will Em." Liz took Em's hand in hers. "So will Skye, and the rest of the family."

"He could have at least asked me." Emily said exhaling forcefully. She was kind of pissed. "This is so like him, to just assume that everyone will fall in line with what he wants because he decrees it. I wonder if this was why he was so frantic to find you."

"Probably, but he could have said something when I got back. Being Jason's wife didn't mean I wouldn't help him." Liz was angry too.

"I need to talk with Dante. My taking Spencer will have an impact on our relationship." Emily said quietly. They weren't at the point where she would automatically know his stance on children.

"He's really good with Cameron." Liz pointed out.

"He's not dating Cameron's mother." Emily countered. That was a big difference.

"Point taken." Liz conceded. She hoped everything worked out well there. "What about medical decisions?"

"Nikolas left his power of attorney for those with you." Diane told the pregnant woman. "I'll be sure to let Dr. Drake know that. Now I need to go get Jason, because this next part concerns him."

"It gets stranger and stranger. Am I needed?" Emily wanted to know. "I need to find out exactly where Spencer is, and get him away from Andre."

"Bring him to the house. We are set up for children already. Would you two like to stay the night?" Liz wanted to make sure Emily was okay with her decision.

"No, but thank you. I want to get Spencer settled at my place." Emily said before frowning. "I have no idea what that entails." She admitted. Even when she babysat Cam it was always at Liz's place or Liz brought along anything that was necessary.

"I asked Alfred to have Andre bring Spencer here after his swimming lesson ended. Which won't be for another forty-five minutes." Diane told Emily.

"Stay here, and after Diane talks with Jason we will start getting everything together." Liz told Emily. She was going to help her friend keep from being overwhelmed. Nikolas has placed his ex-wife in an extremely unfair position, and Liz didn't think it had anything to do with his tumor. Nikolas could be really self-centered at times. "Your brother's help will make everything happen much faster."

"Thanks. I'm going to try not to be too needy." Emily promised.

"There is no such thing with family. Together we will get through this." Liz said smiling.

Silently Emily vowed that she wasn't going to be a source of stress for Liz. Not when Kelly was already worried about blood pressure issues.

Diane brought in Jason. "Liz will bring you up to speed on what we talked about." The lawyer was not permitted to talk to Jason about those matters. "Nikolas's lawyer Harry Silver is going to be contacting me in the next few days with an offer for you to purchase Cassadine Industries. Are you interested?"

"Yes." Jason didn't hesitate. It was a profitable company, but more importantly he would own several more shipping lanes which meant more ships to bring in merchandise. He would also get control of more of the docks, ELQ and Jax were the other owners, and ten more warehouses. "He isn't leaving it in trust to Spencer." Jason got the implications of this question.

"Nikolas is making moves to severe all of Spencer's ties with the Cassadine legacy. I think he wants his son to have the freedom he never did." Liz wasn't sure if that was a good thing. While she didn't get along with her parents at least she had a sense of where she came from.

"Does it say if Nikolas wants me to adopt Spencer?" Emily wanted to know.

"He has requested it, but will understand if you decline." Diane said looking over her documents. "And yes if you adopt him, Nikolas has requested you change Spencer's last name."

"You are getting Spencer?" Jason asked surprised. "I just assumed he was coming to live with us."

Liz had to kiss him for that. He was ready to open their home without hesitation. "Thank you."

"He's part of your family." Was all Jason said, and then blushed when he got another kiss.

"Emily will need our help. Starting with having her place childproofed and you sending a crew out to Spoon Island to get Spencer's things. Having his furniture will give him a sense of security." Liz would normally oversee all this herself, but she knew from here she was going to her recliner.

"I can handle both of those things." Jason would only need to make two calls. "Do you need a runner to go to the grocery store? I doubt Em has food at her place."

Emily just glared at him. "I'm not arguing because that's true. I don't even know what Spencer likes. Chicken nuggets?" She asked. "All kids like those right?"

Liz just laughed. "I don't know if he's ever had any. This is Nikolas we're talking about."

"Good point." Emily frowned. "How big is the furniture?" She was envisioning a four poster bed complete with curtains. "My place is a good size, but I have the biggest bedroom."

"Would you consider moving?" Jason wanted to know.

"To the Towers?" Emily guessed, her brother had been trying to get her into his building since she moved out of the mansion. "Fine. Is your old place empty?"

"It is." Jason hadn't rented it out after the Corellis moved. He wanted it empty when Emily's lease was due for renewal. He was hoping she would reconsider moving at that time. "You have time for a paint job." He told her.

"Did you paint when Skye moved out, because that mural Liz did for Lila Rae is fantastic." Emily would put Spencer in that room. Liz painted the ocean and beach on one wall to remind the little girl of her former home. It was gender neutral and would work well now.

"No, I didn't paint." Jason was holding off covering his wife's work.

"That would work out well because Olivia would be your neighbor." Liz knew that her brother and his girlfriend would welcome Spencer into the family too.

"Emergency childcare advice. That alone will make me move in." Emily said laughing.

"Olivia will feed you too. Which will be helpful." Liz pointed out. Emily dimmed a bit. "Wait until you talk to him before you start thinking things are over. In fact bring Spencer to my place, he can play with Cameron and Lila Rae. Invite Dante over and you two can talk there." If the couple did break up then Emily wouldn't be alone.

"Thanks." Emily would have all the support she needed.

"Now let's go downstairs and find out what we are dealing with." Liz would need to start making decisions. Hopefully the really big ones could be put off for a little while.

* * *

"Hi." Elizabeth said as Marco wheeled her into Nikolas's room. Her friend was now awake.

"Hi." Nikolas said quietly. "What's with the wheelchair?"

"If I answer that then you have to answer my questions." Elizabeth told him.

"Fair enough." Nikolas responded adjusting his bed so he was a little higher.

She explained what was happening with her. "How long have you known you were sick?"

"Since this summer." Nikolas confessed. "At first I didn't want to think about it, but the headaches got to the point where I couldn't ignore it anymore. So I started making plans."

"Keep going." Liz urged him. She would let him talk and then ask anything else she needed to know.

"I wanted Spencer with you, but then you married Jason. I eventually convinced myself you would still take my son, and then I learned you were pregnant." Nikolas told her. He was not going to mention his plans with Jerry, no one needed to know that.

"So you named Emily as his guardian. Not asking her was wrong." Liz gently chastised him.

"Did she say no?" Nikolas gave Alfred instructions to contact Diane if anything went wrong. Since Liz was mentioning Em taking Spencer the butler had followed his orders.

"Of course not. You knew she wouldn't." Liz said calling him out. "You are in a hospital bed so I'm not going to beat you over your head. Emily will come to see you and the two of you can talk about that. I have her back, which is all I'm going to say. I haven't read your wishes yet." She let him know.

"No extraordinary measures." Nikolas cut to the chase. "Patrick has suggested I move into a facility where there is medical staff on the premises."

Liz knew that meant assisted living, where when Nikolas got worse he could be moved to a complete care wing. "I can make recommendations of several local residences."

"I want to go to Europe." Nikolas told her. "But then you would need to fly over to pull the plug." He joked.

"You can't just drop out of your son's life Nikolas. I know you, I know that you don't want him to see you like this, but you can't just vanish. This is going to be hard enough." Liz wasn't going to let her friend be that selfish. Spencer deserved better.

"In a few years he won't even remember me." Nikolas said sadly.

"He'll always know you. We will make sure of it." Liz also knew that Emily would only tell Spencer good things about his dad.

Nikolas was scared, but wasn't going to show it. He also wasn't going to make things hard on the woman sitting in front of him. "Pick a place for me to move to. Emily and I will discuss everything else."

"I can do that." Liz would also go visit as often as she could. So she was going to need to order a wheelchair.

* * *

"Thanks for coming over." Emily said letting Dante into the house. He was on his break. She had just checked on Spencer and he was playing quietly with Cameron and Lila Rae. Liz mentioned that Nikolas had taken pains to get his son out of the house more often in the last few months and the little boy was a lot more open now.

"Is everything okay?" Dante thought she sounded upset on the phone.

"Can we take a walk?" She requested.

"Sure thing." Dante was starting to wonder if she was about to break up with him.

"Let me tell Liz and Jason I'm going out." Emily did so and then grabbed her coat. "Something happened today and well my life is going to look a lot different going forward." She started.

"Are you sick?" Dante took her hand in his. He knew about her battle with cancer.

"No." Emily quickly corrected him. She hadn't meant to scare him. "Nikolas is dying, and he wants me to take custody of his son. I agreed. Liz is going to oversee Nikolas's care, but I will probably help her. I'll also be taking Spencer for visits with his dad."

"That's amazing Emily." Dante said squeezing her hand.

"I know you didn't sign on to date a single mother." Emily began explaining.

"I like children." Dante said smiling. "They generally like me too."

"I'm not asking you to play dad." Emily wanted that clear. "Or expecting it."

"Good, Spencer still has a dad so he doesn't need me in that role." Dante said being honest. "When that changes hopefully we will be close enough that he knows he can lean on me. We don't have to break up." Dante came right out and said, that's what she was dancing around. "Not unless you want to."

"I don't." Emily said smiling. "I'm really happy you feel that way too."

"Maybe I could take the two of you the aquarium next week on my day off, since it will be your day off too." Dante had hoped they could spend the day together anyway. "I also get that Spencer might not take to me right away, I'm willing to be patient."

"You're amazing." Emily said smiling. "I'm terrified." She told him.

"It's a big responsibility you are taking on." Dante was so proud of her. "He's a lucky kid to have people in his life who love him."

"I don't even know him." Emily told her boyfriend. "Nikolas didn't ask me, he just put it in his will."

"Seriously?" Dante asked stunned. "That's a huge risk to take with something as precious as your kid. He's lucky you have such a big heart."

"I think he wanted Liz originally, but then her life changed so quickly." Emily agreed with everything her boyfriend said about the level of risk. "Things with Spencer might be rough in the beginning, but I want him to know you." She had a feeling Dante would be good for the little boy. "I plan to eventually adopt him, we are also moving into the Towers. Next door to your mom and Steven."

"We'll see each other even more then." Dante liked knowing she would be somewhere safe. "Does this effect work?"

"Not really. My new specialty has better hours and I can sign Spencer up for daycare at the hospital. Liz has already offered to let him stay here with Cameron, and Lila Rae when she's over. Skye called and said her nanny is only part time and would consider taking me on as a client. For when those first two aren't an option. We will make it work." Emily figured an offer from Johnny and Chloe would come in once they heard what was going on.

"Yeah, we will make it work." Dante let her know before leaning in and kissing her.

* * *

"How's it going?" Liz asked Jason when he brought her in a glass of juice. She was in the living room and the kids were at the table coloring. The difference between Spencer now and a few months ago was night and day. They would give him as much stability as they could in the coming months. Patrick said that Nikolas didn't have much longer left, at the rate the tumor was growing her friend would be gone before the summer was out.

"They are kissing, so I'm thinking that's a good sign." Jason wasn't even pretending that he wasn't watching his sister and her boyfriend. He would have been hard pressed to not stomp holes in Dante if Em had come in crying. "The crew just left Wyndamere." He reported. "I had them take pictures and they will try to recreate the space at the Towers. Spencer has a bed shaped like a pirate ship." Which was surprising.

"I ordered it for him." Liz said grinning. "Nikolas was going to go with a king sized sleigh bed. I picked out everything in Spencer's room, his dad just went to the store and paid for them." She wanted the toddler to have somewhere fun.

"How are you doing?" He asked sitting on the coffee table. The recliner put her too far away so there going to have to figure out how to make this work. He still wanted to snuggle while watching television.

"Sad." Liz had herself a good cry on her husband's shoulder after leaving Nikolas's hospital room. "I know a lot of people don't see it, but Nik is a good guy. And a good friend. And stubborn. He won't call Alexis."

"You can't force that." Jason said gently rubbing his wife's feet.

"Man that feels good." She said melting into the chair. "It will be unfair to call Alexis for the first time when Nikolas is gone."

Jason was wondering how Jerry would keep from coming here for the funeral. "Let Nikolas make that decision for now."

"I don't have much of a choice." Liz conceded. "I feel a nap coming on. After I'll make some calls about getting Nik a place to stay."

Jason grabbed a blanket and covered his girl. He would get started on lunch for the adults and the munchkins. While Elizabeth was making calls he would talk to Em about what guard she wanted with Spencer.

* * *

Thanks for the reviews!


	32. Chapter 32

ABC/DISNEY own GH. No copyright infringement is intended.

* * *

Chapter 32

"Morgan." Jason looked at the clock, it was just after midnight. A few months ago he would have gotten out of bed to take this call, but that wasn't necessary at the moment. His normally light sleeper of a wife was still out cold. The ringing of the phone hadn't even registered with her. The exhaustion that the pregnancy brought meant she didn't wake as easily these days.

"Now, it's happening now." Johnny said right on the verge of a full on panic attack. He kept telling himself to pull it together, but it just wasn't happening.

"The baby?" Jason couldn't think of anything else that would make his friend freak out. They had been involved in shootouts, and his friend didn't even break a sweat. The stick turning blue had Johnny breathing into a paper bag. Chloe's due date was four days ago so they were all just waiting. "Do you need Milo to drive you over?"

"We are at the hospital." Johnny was even in his scrubs, they were getting his wife hooked up to the machines so he had time to make a few calls. "Tell me to man up."

"I don't have to tell you that." Jason said trying not to laugh and failing. There was a good chance he was going to be a mess when it was time for Liz to give birth. He knew his friends would be there for him, and would keep him calm. "Chloe will have Milo shoot you if you don't."

"Good point. He drove us in." Johnny knew he wasn't in any shape to get behind the wheel. When the contractions hit every five minutes he called their security teams, and then called Kelly. The doctor told him that there was no need to come in just yet and to call when the contractions hit every three minutes. That had Johnny cursing a blue streak as he hung up the phone.

It didn't take long to see why those were the instructions, because the labor pains didn't get any closer for another five hours. Johnny swore he got a new grey hair for every time the second hand went around the clock. So they walked the downstairs of the house while Milo and Ritchie watched the History Channel.

"I'll wake up Elizabeth and we'll head in." Jason told his friend.

"No. Kelly says we aren't there yet. Chloe isn't even fully dilated." Johnny said watching the activity around his wife. Both she and the baby were doing fine so Kelly was just sitting back and letting nature take its course. "It's cold and Liz needs her sleep. I called the mansion to update Lila and told her the same thing I'm about to tell you. Stay put. Come later in the morning hopefully the baby will be here by then. Plus Chloe won't let anyone see her until she cleans up." He said smiling. His girl could be vain, and she didn't apologize for that.

"You'll be okay on your own?" Jason knew that Johnny needed support too.

"Francis is on his way down." Johnny told Jason. "He's leaving Skye and their little one home too. Maybe later you can swing by and pick them up."

"That shouldn't be a problem." Jason didn't want that taking up space in Johnny's head. "We have an appointment to see Kelly this morning, so don't hog her to yourself."

"Selfish much?" Johnny asked laughing. Talking to Jason had calmed him down which was the point of the call.

"Extremely." Jason said laughing. "Tell Chloe we love her. If you change your mind about me coming down call back."

"Will do. Thanks." Johnny said hanging up the phone and heading over to hold his wife's hand and feed her ice chips.

* * *

"Morning." Jason said setting the mug of herbal tea on the nightstand.

"Hi." Liz said still lying down. She was trying to get moving. She had gotten up about an hour ago and went to the bathroom before getting back in bed and instantly falling asleep again. If she didn't start moving now then the same thing was going to happen. Staying awake took a lot of effort lately. Today was a busy one, starting with their appointment to see Kelly at nine. Before lunch she had a web chat with the author and publisher of the children's book she had done the illustrations for to talk about the second book in the series. Book number one was scheduled for release in May and the illustrations had turned out beautifully. The last thing for the day was a visit with Nikolas this afternoon. After which she was going to speak with the director of the residence. It was time to start looking at full care units for her friend.

"I have apple cinnamon tea with honey." Jason said to entice his girl to get moving.

"Help me up." Liz said rolling to her back and very ungracefully pushing herself up. Jason put pillows behind her and with a yawn she reached for her tea. "Mmm. This is good thank you." Caffeine was now off limits. Her blood pressure was holding stable and Kelly wanted it to stay that way for as long as possible because they all knew it was going to start climbing again.

"Sleep well?" Jason asked smiling as he rubbed his girl's tummy. He still couldn't feel the babies just yet, but hopefully soon. Liz nodded still sipping her tea. "Your goddaughter is here." He let her know.

"Lila Rae is downstairs?" Liz said looking at the clock. It was only seven. She didn't mind the fact that her niece was over, it was just that Skye never went in this early unless something was wrong at work. "Is everything okay?"

"Not Lila Rae." Jason said leaning forward and giving his wife a soft lingering kiss. He took her mug and sat it down. "Your new goddaughter Meghan Beatrix O'Brien."

Elizabeth blue eyes flooded with tears and she started sobbing. "The baby came." She managed to get out.

Jason slid forward and wrapped his girl up tight. "At three o'clock this morning. Seven pounds, four ounces, twenty inches long. Everyone is doing great."

"Why didn't you wake me up?" Elizabeth said leaning into him. It always felt amazing to be in his arms.

"Johnny told me not to." Jason threw his friend under the bus. "He said it was too early and too cold for you to be outside." This February was warmer than normal, but this being upstate New York that still meant temps that dipped below freezing early in the morning. He kissed the top of her head. "I thought we would just leave early for our doctor's appointment so that we could stop by for a visit. Since you know the Chief of Staff I figured we could bend the visiting hours rule just this once. Skye should be here by eight with Lila Rae and her nanny. We can leave shortly after that." Spencer was also getting dropped off.

The little boy was adjusting well to the change, and Em was doing a great job with him. Her first decision as the Spencer's guardian was to send Andre back to Greece. Both she and Liz felt better with him gone. Emily didn't hesitate to call for help when she needed it, and living next door to Olivia was the boon everyone expected it to be. The two women had become even closer which Dante really liked. Especially since his mother never warmed to Lulu.

Dante was the big surprise for Jason. The detective was outstanding with Spencer, even taking him out on solo ventures if he was off and Em was working. The three of them were slowly forming a family unit, giving themselves time to adjust to all the changes.

"I need to get dressed." Elizabeth said excited to see the new baby.

"Drink your tea first, and then you can get ready." Jason told his wife. He was aware of her schedule and wanted to start pushing the fluids early.

* * *

"I think I need one of those signs that says wide load." Liz joked as she waddled into the living room.

"I like that dress." Skye said laughing at her sister. Liz was not having any body image issues during this pregnancy. She had that glow going and was almost always smiling. Three babies would terrify Skye, but Liz seemed to be taking it in stride.

"Thanks." Liz said smoothing the fabric over her tummy. "I really like this dress, when I saw it on the site I immediately clicked on it. It's a nice all-purpose outfit." The dark blue knee length floral print tea dress had ties on the back and side that meant the dress could be let out as her tummy grew. The site she shopped on had a lot of garments with that feature which was beyond practical. "I'm hoping that Kelly will be able to get a gender on at least one more baby at today's appointment. That will help some with the shower planning."

"Did you guys pick a name for your next son?" Skye wanted to know.

"Not yet. We are going back and forth. Nothing is really grabbing us." Liz said taking a seat before her hubby came in and told her to. "Jason picked up a baby book and we are each making two lists. Any names that appear on both our lists will make it into the next round. If we get stuck we will solicit input from the family."

"I called Jason and Em before we settled on Lila Rae." Skye told Liz. "I didn't want to overstep my bounds."

Liz just frowned. "She's your grandmother too, so how would naming your child after her be overstepping?"

Skye just chuckled. "They both said variations on that." Looking up she saw her brother walk into the kitchen. His eyes went right to his wife and a smile formed on his face. She liked that he was so happy that there was no denying it.

"We should head out." Jason said looking at the clock.

"Yup." Liz got to her feet. "I'm gonna check on the kids one last time.

Alone Skye handed Jason her coffee mug. "Have you guys registered yet?"

"Next month." Jason knew his girl was looking forward to that.

"Zap plenty of stuff with three babies you are going to need it." Skye let him know. She, Em, and Chloe would plan the shower which was being held at the mansion. Lila was going to host and would sit with them as they pulled everything together.

"The diapers alone will need their own room." Jason said on a laugh. They had plenty of room for everything the babies needed. Elizabeth had suggested that they put all the cribs in one room so that the babies could stay together, then at six months they could put them in their individual spaces. Jason thought that was a fine idea.

"That's a scary thought." Skye said not wanting to think of the mountain of diapers they were going to have to deal with.

"Come on you two!" Liz called from the foyer.

"We should go before she drives over without us." Jason said heading towards the front door. His girl couldn't fit behind the steering wheel anymore, but Marco would happily take her to the hospital. The medical center was the guard's new favorite place for his charge to be.

* * *

The two cars pulled into parking spaces, Skye was going to work after the visit so she drove herself, just as Lila's car pulled into a third. The Quartermaine matriarch didn't want a van with a wheelchair lift so Jason had his guys customize a Lincoln Navigator so that she could ride in style. Alice was behind the wheel and by the time Jason got Liz situated Lila was waiting.

Both women had electric wheelchairs so they could get around on their own. Liz was going to donate hers to someone who needed a chair but couldn't afford it when she was done. Lila had helped Jason get a model that would be good for his wife, something with a bit of juice so Liz didn't feel like she was being left behind.

"Wanna race?" Lila asked with a wicked grin. The parking lot was quiet and all that asphalt was too much temptation.

Liz grinned back at her grandmother. "What's the wager?"

"You really want to go there? I already have Cody under my thumb." Lila teased.

"Name your terms." Liz said not backing down.

"Two paintings for my charity auction later in the year. Whatever subject you want." Lila didn't need anything so she wasn't going to ask for anything for herself. Last year Liz donated a painting to the auction and it fetched a good price. This way they could get two for guests to bid on.

"Deal." Liz agreed with a nod. "If I win, I would like for you to pick out a full tea set for my house. Wyndham's has some very nice ones. Jason can go pick it up." She would love to occasionally host the ladies.

"Deal." Lila said agreeing to the terms. Even if she won her granddaughter would get the requested item. And it wouldn't be from the store, Lila would gift her one from her collection. "To the green car?" That would give them a good length of the parking lot. "Alice, would you get us started please?" Lila requested.

"Should we stop them?" Skye asked not believing what she was hearing.

"I'm not that brave." Jason admitted. There was no snow or ice on the ground so this wasn't dangerous. Add to that while the chairs were fast for wheelchairs, they weren't really that speedy. They both maxed out at 8 mph.

The maid took off her red scarf and held it up high. "Ready?" Both seated women nodded with determined looks on their faces. "Go!" The maid said waving the colorful fabric.

There was more laughter than trash talk coming from the competitors. It was a clean dash to their end point, and when the race was over Lila was the victor. But not by much. "I win. I love winning." The older woman looked over at her granddaughter who was sporting a healthy flush. It was nice to see her glowing.

"That was fun!" Liz didn't care that she lost.

Jason just shook his head. "Are you going to be racing around the house?" His girl was a speed freak.

"No. There aren't enough long stretches for that." Liz said a bit sad.

"Come out to the mansion. You can zoom around as long as it's warm enough." Lila invited.

"Do not encourage her." Jason said pushing his wife while Skye pushed their grandmother.

"Spoilsport." Lila said with a wicked grin. "He has to go to work at some point." She said dropping a wink.

"Marco would rat me out." Liz said loud enough for her guard to hear.

"I certainly would." Marco replied calling the elevator. Cody was meeting them upstairs.

"Ditching him is hard these days, so racing around isn't going to happen." Liz said with genuine regret, because that had been more fun than she expected.

"Where there is a will there is a way." Lila responded before the doors open and they piled inside.

Jason just shook his head again, his grandmother was a trouble maker.

* * *

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	33. Chapter 33

ABC/DISNEY owns GH. No copyright infringement is intended.

* * *

Chapter 33

"Oh she is so precious." Elizabeth said looking down into the face of the newest member of their family. The little girl was already a stunner. She looked more like her mom at the moment, but there were parts of Johnny too. The shape of Meghan's eyes and lips was all her dad.

"I think we'll keep her." Chloe said smiling. "Best work I've ever done."

"I did help." Johnny said from his chair. He hadn't even been a dad for a full day yet and was already exhausted. It wasn't even his little girl, she had spent most of the time since arriving asleep. It was him, he was terrified to close his eyes, because if he was sleeping he might miss the exact moment she needed him.

Chloe just smiled at her husband.

"How did you pick her name?" Jason wanted to know. He would get to hold the baby after Elizabeth. Then they would leave for their appointment. Lila had gone first, which was how it should be.

"Meghan after my sister." Johnny started explained. She had died in a car accident when he was twenty and she was twenty-four.

"Beatrix is my grandmother's middle name, I've always loved it." Chloe still missed her grandparents. If she had given birth to a boy they would have found a way to honor her grandfather.

"She's so calm." Skye observed. She was going to be the last person to hold the baby, unless Lila wanted a second turn. "Lila Rae spent most of her first year at maximum volume." The red head joked.

"I think Meghan is going to learn early on that if she is silent she might have a better chance of sneaking out of the house." Liz joked.

"Home schooling." Johnny said only a little serious.

Chloe just rolled her eyes. Johnny would not be allowed to lock their little girl away. "Ignore him. I want a report after you go see Kelly. Feel free to stop back."

"You two should really try to get some sleep." Liz said handing the baby to Jason. "When you get home you won't have nurses around to help out."

"I was considering bribing Epiphany to let me have one." Johnny said stretching his legs out. "I'm sure that I'm going to be the parent that screws this up." He said admitting his biggest fear.

"You and Chloe both are going to screw up." Skye said and laughed at the face Johnny made. "It's how the parenting thing works. You don't know what you are doing, so you make the best choices you can. And some of those choices will be the wrong ones. Even if you have twelve kids you will screw up in some way with each of them. What you want to shoot for is not doing any long term and lasting damage."

Elizabeth had to nod at the very wise advice from Skye. "I've told you about my childhood. So you both know some things to avoid." Liz had never really felt wanted, she knew Meghan wasn't going to have that problem. "You guys will be fine." She said giving her friends a smile.

"And when you screw up I'll be there with my camera to record it." Jason said not being at all helpful.

Johnny just grinned while the ladies all glared. "I can't do worse than you." The Irishman countered. "Francis is going to make us both look bad anyway. He even braids Lila Rae's hair." He was fast too saying there was only so long his daughter would stay still.

"You will do fine love." Chloe said covering Johnny's hand with hers.

"This little darling could not be in better hands." Lila echoed Chloe's sentiment as she smiled at the baby who was now in Skye's arms.

"Johnny." Jason tilted his head and went out in the hall. There was already a guard on the door and the room was at the end of the corridor which gave them privacy. "I'll keep this brief because you look exhausted."

"Too many people about." Johnny knew Jason would understand what he meant. "Gives me the willies."

"Who would you like with Meghan and her nanny?" Jason figured Johnny had been giving this some thought since his daughter was born.

"Chris." Johnny requested. "Cody called this morning and we talked it over. That was who he recommended." It wasn't just about security, it was also about who would fit well with the family. "Thank you." Not everyone's child got a guard. In most organizations it was just the boss's family that merited protection. For Jason that rule didn't apply. He couldn't guard everyone in his organization but Johnny, Cody, and Milo's kids would all be protected.

"I'll tell Cody to give Chris the head's up that you will be contacting him." Jason had to give his approval to the placement. "You can let Chris know when you expect him to start, the hours, and all that stuff. Who do you want backing up Chris?"

"Cody is recommending Freddy." Johnny trusted Cody implicitly.

Jason just nodded. "That's fine, he, Chris and Ritchie all get along. They also won't have problems taking orders from Milo." When the group was together as an enforcer Milo would be the senior ranking security member. Jason looked at his watch. "We need to get going. Kelly can be scary when her patients aren't on time."

"Kelly is scary period." Johnny said with a grin. "Have you ever noticed that the women in our lives would all make excellent mob bosses?" He observed.

"Which is why we don't piss them off that often." Jason said with a grin as they headed back to the room.

* * *

Kelly looked at the monitor and frowned. "Your blood pressure is up. More than I like to see. Have you been having headaches?"

"Off and on." Liz admitted looking at the numbers before looking at Jason. "Not really bad though."

Kelly nodded as she took a seat next to the ultrasound machine. She would put together her course of action while they took a peek at babies. "I have mommies that would hate the fact that you are having triplets and don't have any stretch marks."

"I rub cream on my tummy after the shower and before bedtime." Liz said giving her husband a small smile. He was the one who actually massaged the moisturizer into her skin. The attention always left her purring.

"I will pass that along." Kelly said pressing the wand against the belly. "Okay, three babies present and accounted for. Let's start with Baby A." She always went in the same order to make sure she didn't miss anything. This was the baby in the lowest position in the tummy and would be the first through the birth canal. "Your children are stubborn." Kelly murmured. "Good news I can see all the organs on this little one, and they look great. This is the largest of your kids. Heart rate is good too. Bad news, no gender."

Jason kissed his wife's temple. She was crying looking at the monitor. Elizabeth would explain the ultrasound pictures to him later. She smiled at him before looking at the monitor again.

"Baby B." Kelly said moving the wand into a better position. "Looking good, this is the smallest of the babies, but for a triplet the weight is within the perimeters we want to see." They still be keeping a close watch though, just to make sure the babies were all gaining weight. "Everything looks good here as well, and again no gender." The doctor gave her friend a smirk. "According to your chart your first pregnancy went this way as well. No gender until you popped Cameron out."

"They teach you that phrase in medical school?" Liz wanted to know.

"Yup." Kelly said turning back to the monitor. There was a knock on the door. "Come in!" The doctor yelled knowing it was one of two folks on the other side. "You guys came together, how sweet."

"How is everything going?" Steven wanted to know. He dropped by on as many of these appointments as he could. Kelly threw him out, or denied him entry whichever was easier, if she was doing an internal.

"Getting any more genders?" Emily wanted to know. She had come to every appointment but one. Her schedule was more flexible than Steven's, she simply took her break at the correct time. Today she wasn't starting until ten so it worked out well. If she came to the appointment but Steven missed it, then Em would send him a text.

"No new genders." Kelly answered the second question, and would get to the first in a minute. "Baby C is in middle weight wise, organs looking good, heart rate is strong, and he's still a boy. Good job momma." Kelly turned off the ultrasound and handed a wet cloth to Jason so he could clean Liz's tummy. "Her blood pressure is up, more than I would like for it to be."

All the doctors were frowning. "What are you going to do about that?" Jason wanted to know.

"For now at home readings." Kelly walked over to the phone and called down to her nurse's hub. "I'm going to send you home with a remote sphygmomanometer, it will take Liz's blood pressure once an hour. Then through the magic of technology it will shoot those numbers to us here at the hospital. I need to know if there are any spikes happening, when the pressure is the highest and when it's the lowest. We can make a more informed decision then. I will say no more steps. Can you move your bedroom to the downstairs level of your house?" Kelly had been over to their home and knew the master was on the second floor.

"No. There isn't a full bath on the main floor, and construction now would stress me out." Liz said, not that Jason's guys would take long to get it done. "Are you about to make me stay on the second floor? Because that will stress me out too."

"Such a diva." Kelly said laughing. "I'll strap you down if I feel that's the best course of action, and you'll deal with it." She said getting serious.

"I can carry you up and down the steps." Jason didn't see an issue.

"No." All four medical personnel said at once.

"Too much risk of you falling." Kelly answered since this was her office.

"I'll have a chair rail installed then." Jason said seeing a way around the problem. "When the pregnancy is done, we'll have it removed. Shouldn't take the guys more than a couple of hours to get it set up." His crew had installed the one at the mansion so they knew what to do already.

"Cody's the same way. Never takes him long to find a way around a problem. When the zombie apocalypse hits we are so gonna make it to the end." Kelly said making notes in Liz's chart. "For now we are going with complete bed rest, at home, until those numbers get under control. If I don't see any improvement in two weeks then you get a room here."

"You guys need anything?" Steven knew Olivia would be stopping by the house to check for herself that they were fine.

"No." Jason said sending a text to his crew foreman. Not even twenty seconds later he got a response. "My guys are going to go pick up the supplies today from the wholesaler in Buffalo." Most people had to order and then wait for delivery, not Jason. "They can be at the house by one and have everything installed by four." He said sending out another text. He got another response almost immediately. "The kids are going to Francis's house to run amok." Just so they wouldn't be underfoot.

"Look at him with the planning skills." Kelly teased her friend's husband. "Okay, it's time for our visitors to leave. I need to do an internal."

"Call me later." Steven said giving his sister a kiss. He would stop by later in the day to see what the blood pressures reading were.

"I'm going to have a visit with Johnny and Chloe." Emily gave Jason a hug and squeezed Liz's hand. "Grandmother has gone home so I might just get to hold the baby."

"Have Johnny tell you about my race this morning." Liz said grinning.

"Okay." Emily said looking at the expression on her sister's face. The story was going to be a good one. "Call me if you need anything."

"I will need to figure something out for this afternoon." Liz said as Jason helped her to the bottom of the table. "I'm supposed to pick out a unit for Nikolas."

"He's getting worse?" Kelly thought that whole situation was sad.

"Yeah. At Nikolas's last appointment Patrick said that we are almost in end stage." Liz told her friend, trying not to wince. Internals were not fun.

Kelly completed her exam. "Everything is good." She said completing her scan. "Don't let that situation add stress." Ideally Liz wouldn't be overseeing anyone's care except her son. "How is my favorite little guy?"

"Cameron is doing great. Growing like a weed and starting to talk more." Liz had to smile thinking of her son. Jason was sporting an identical smile. "He and his dad cause trouble as often as possible."

"Of course they do. I imagine they break hearts just walking through a room." Kelly commented. A hot guy with a small child was sure to grab the attention to women in the area. She had seen them out at lunch, just father and son. Jason was a very good dad. He also was oblivious to the looks other women were giving him. "Okay, back in one week unless I don't like the numbers I'm getting."

"Thanks." Jason said helping Elizabeth to sit up and then down to the floor so she could go into the bathroom and put on her clothes.

"I'm just a phone call away if you need me." Kelly told Jason, she suspected that the mob boss was closer to panic than he was showing.

"Should we be looking into birthing classes?" Jason knew that around six months Johnny and Chloe went.

"No need. Liz will be having a C-Section." Kelly told her friend. "With three babies and blood pressure issues she doesn't get a choice. I'm going to do my best to make sure it isn't an emergency C-Section. That's a cute dress." She said as her friend came back into the room.

"Thanks." Liz waddled out and sat in her wheelchair that Jason just opened.

"The nurse will be in to hook you up to the monitor." Kelly let them know. "Do not sneak out before she comes in." The doctor admonished walking out of the exam room.

Liz looked up at Jason. "You doing okay?"

"Hanging in there." Jason said squatting down so they were eye to eye. "I don't want anything to happen to you or our babies. I feel like I should be doing something to make this easier but I can't."

"You do make this easier." Liz said covering his hand with hers. "Having you by my side, and taking care of us and Cameron does more than I think you know. More than I can probably make you understand."

"I almost missed this." Jason said being honest. "It would have killed me to have to watch this from a distance. I'm glad you forgave me."

"I'm glad you let me know you wanted me to. I wasn't expecting that. Based on our history I figured we had finally run our course." Liz said looking into his eyes. "I'm glad I was wrong." She leaned forward and kissed him "I love you."

"I love you too." Jason let her know just before the nurse knocked on the door.

* * *

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	34. Chapter 34

ABC/DISNEY owns GH. No copyright infringement is intended.

* * *

Chapter 34

"Jason." Liz said coming slowly out of the bathroom.

"What's wrong?" He could see on her face she was scared.

"I'm bleeding." Liz said trying to keep herself calm. For the last month she had been on the couch, staying still, and resting to keep her blood pressure from shooting up. She had figured they were once again in the clear when it worked. So she hadn't been expecting the bleeding that just occurred.

Jason threw back the covers and got out of bed. "Sit down." He said urging her down to the side of the bed. His phone was in his hand and he called Kelly's number which was in the number two spot on his speed dial these days. While the phone on the other end of the line rang he pulled on clothes and grabbed a dress for his wife.

"That one doesn't fit anymore." Liz said seeing what he grabbed. She was rubbing her tummy just needing to touch her babies. "Grab the grey one with the black polka dots.

"Okay." Jason said getting the dress his wife requested and a pair of black flats.

"This is Kelly." The doctor answered in a chipper voice.

"Elizabeth is bleeding." Jason got right to the point as he helped his girl get dressed.

"Is she in pain?" Kelly wanted to know. "Prepare for a high risk prenatal admission." She covered the mouth piece of her phone as she gave instructions to the nurse. "Page my Fellow and any of my residents who are in the building. Jason?"

"Any pain?" Jason asked Elizabeth.

"No." Liz said concentrating on her breathing.

"No pain." He relayed to Kelly.

"Bring her in, if I'm not in the ER then my Fellow will be." Kelly said ending the call.

"We need to head in." Jason was taking Elizabeth into the hospital even if Kelly had said to stay home. Bleeding was a sign something was wrong.

"I'll call the nanny and have her meet us at the hospital." Liz said as Jason got the wheelchair. Even in the house these days it was used. He was on his phone too and she knew he was calling Marco and Cody. Which meant in a matter of minutes Johnny and Francis would know what was going on. They would understand why Jason didn't call himself. "Go get Cameron and I'll meet you downstairs." Liz could get herself to the chair lift.

"Alright." Jason said giving his girl a kiss and dashing from the room.

"Mommy's going to take good care of you." Liz said to her babies. "No matter what it's going to be okay." She had to believe that.

* * *

"Trauma room four." The triage nurse didn't even bother to do a work up on Liz, they could get all the numbers they needed when she was hooked up to the machines. Kelly had been clear that this patient didn't wait in the queue.

"Let's get Liz into a gown so we don't mess up her pretty dress." Kelly said while rubbing her friend's hand. "I'm impressed that your blood pressure isn't through the roof. That's badass." She said looking at all the monitors. Her friend was scared, Kelly could tell that, but she was doing what she had to for the babies. "WHERE IS MY ULTRASOUND?!" She yelled loud enough that everyone in the ER could hear her.

"Right here. Hey Liz." Nadine said wheeling in the requested equipment.

"Hey Nadine." Liz said gripping the sheets. Jason wasn't in the room yet because he was giving a sleeping Cameron to Cody.

"I have your gown, so let's get you changed." Nadine was good at her job, so good that Liz didn't even have to move during the clothing swap.

"I'm here." Jason came in and took Elizabeth's hand. "Where are we?"

"I'm about to do an internal." Kelly said getting set up. "Did you break any of my rules? Do not lie to me."

"No, she has been following them to the letter." Jason answered. "If we aren't coming to the doctor, or she's using the bathroom Elizabeth hasn't been on her feet." Which he knew was hard for her. She had to turn over total care of Cameron to Jason, and the nanny. That second one was really hard for her.

"Shit. You are funneling." Kelly said frowning. "We've seen that your cervix has been thinning. We expected that, its common with multiples and you have a history of miscarriages which increases your risk. Last week you were fine." The next appointment was in two days. "Now you are on the verge of an incompetent cervix. Skipping steps isn't cool."

"Is my cervix open?" Liz knew that was a worse-case scenario. That could lead to a loss of the pregnancy. She was now thirty weeks so her babies would have a fighting chance, but the odds would still be against them.

"No." Kelly said relaxing marginally. "However I don't think you are far from that. Your cervix is extremely soft. I want you to make it as close to thirty-four weeks as you can." The doctor wasn't sure the original goal of eight and half months was going to happen now. However if anyone was stubborn enough to make it, it was Liz.

"What are our options?" Jason needed to know.

"The first option is one we are already taking which is admitting Liz for around the clock monitoring." Kelly could see that Jason was worried. "That way if Liz goes into preterm labor too early we can try to stop it."

"What about cervical cerclage?" Liz asked from the gurney.

"That's where the cervix is sewed shut?" Jason just wanted to be sure.

"Yeah, sorry." Liz was used to talking in medical terms.

"That's not proven to work in cases of multiples." Kelly explained. "However I am willing to use any and all weapons at my disposal to keep those babies inside your stomach for another few weeks. We won't go there just yet, but it's going to be in the back of my mind." While it didn't work for every woman, it did work for some. "The best thing you can do is stay calm, and keep your blood pressure stable." Kelly figured that was going to be hard, something that was totally understandable.

There was a knock on the trauma room door. "It's Monica." The surgeon called out.

Jason looked at Elizabeth waiting for her to approval before walking over to the door. The two women got along now, but they still couldn't be called close. It was more that they both loved him and Cameron. Jason figured both women were just taking their time building the relationship, he wasn't expecting them to be become best friends over night. "Come in. Did you head in because of us?" Like Steven and Em, his mother was given updates on Elizabeth and the babies.

"I was finishing up an emergency surgery." Monica had been heading out when Nadine tracked her down. "How is she?" The Chief of Surgery was still standing by the door. She assumed that Liz had only forgiven her for Jason, just like if Skye had forgiven her for it would have been for Alan and Emily. As a result Monica still had some walls in place. She figured it was only a matter of time before her daughter in-law decided they had she been nice enough and stopped talking to her.

"Spotting." Jason said looking over at his wife. "There is also some funneling."

"Liz is being admitted?" Monica wanted to know.

"She is." Jason said telling himself to relax. His girl always knew when he was upset, and that would stress her. He would take a walk when she was upstairs sleeping and hopefully find a way to keep from melting down.

"Kelly is the best you can get in this situation." Monica told her son.

"We trust her." Jason told his mother.

"Where is my grandson, and is there any chance I can get him moved into the mansion?" Monica asked grinning. She loved being a grandmother, which was something of a surprise to her. Alan would enjoy having Cameron around, Lila too. "His nanny is of course welcome to come and stay."

"Let me ask Elizabeth." Jason figured that Cameron was going to stay with Francis and Skye. That way he had Lila Rae for company.

"Okay." Monica figured that was a no. "I'm going to get going, keep me up to date. Tell Liz we will be praying for her and the babies."

"Sure." Jason said heading back to where Elizabeth and Kelly were waiting.

"Is Monica okay?" Elizabeth had watched the quiet conversation from her gurney. "She could have come over."

"She just finished up an emergency surgery and heard you were here. So she stopped by to check in." Jason explained linking their fingers. "She asked if Cameron could stay at the mansion."

"That's fine." Elizabeth trusted them with Cameron.

"I was going to ask Francis." Jason said looking at the monitor. Emily had given him a crash course on how to read them. At the moment he wasn't sure if that was a good thing or not.

"If Cameron stays at the mansion then Skye will take over Lila Rae, and maybe she will talk with Monica. Em and I are still hoping they can find middle ground." Liz explained one of the reasons their son should stay with his grandparents and great-grandmother right now. The odds were good he would spend time with everyone else too. "I'm working on my relationship with your mother, she's just really guarded. I think she is expecting me to start screaming at her."

"I noticed that you two tend to be cool with one another." Jason looked at his girl.

"She won't let me any closer. I'm trying Jason, but I think her guilt is at the root of why there is still some distance between us." Liz said taking a deep breath and letting it out slowly.

Kelly was still sitting there and decided to add her two cents, even though it wasn't requested. "You are too nice to her." The doctor said looking at her friends. "She doesn't know how to handle that, she's used to Tracy and Lucy Coe. Man the fights that Monica and Lucy had over Alan were epic. I was just an intern and resident back then but they had some humdingers. We thought the halls were gonna run red with blood at certain points. They still don't get along. Tracy, on the other hand, made Monica work for forgiveness."

"Why would Tracy be the one giving forgiveness?" Liz didn't know the entire Quartermaine history.

"At one point Monica was hot and heavy with a former Port Charles resident named Sean Donely, and the two of them conned the Quartermaines out of all of their money. Then tossed the whole family out of the mansion. Including Lila. That was when Mrs. Quartermaine created her relish recipe. Eventually Monica and Alan reconciled for like the twentieth time but Tracy made Monica feel horrible for how she treated the family." Kelly passed along some gossip. "For years she refused to say it was all water under the bridge."

"Wow." Liz said looking up at Jason. "Did you know all that?"

"No, I knew the relish was created when the family was broke. I had no idea how the money was lost." Jason would never have come up with that scenario. "Sean Donely is the head of the WSB."

"It takes a criminal to catch them." Kelly figured. "Tomorrow I'll come by your room and tell you about Mac Scorpio's past. Our commissioner was once a bad boy." The doctor teased with a wicked grin. "Here are the orderlies, they will take you upstairs. I'll check on you before I leave, and you'll be in good hands with my new Fellow Sabrina. She got a perfect score on her boards which made me consider her application, I only take the best." Kelly might be outrageous but she took her work seriously. "See you guys upstairs."

"Okay." Liz said getting comfortable for the ride to her room.

* * *

Jason looked up when the door to the bedroom of the private suite opened. It had to be someone who was approved to be in the room otherwise the guard wouldn't have allowed them to enter. "You do realize visiting hours are over right?"

"Rules never concerned me much." Johnny said taking a seat. It was just past eleven and visiting hours ended almost two hours ago.

"If he was coming I figured I would tag along to keep him out of trouble." Francis said taking the final empty seat. "Steven cleared us coming over." The Chief of Staff had stopped by earlier in the evening, he was worried about his brother in-law. There was no way that the calm Jason was exhibiting was how the man really felt. So Steven asked Olivia to call Skye.

"What happened?" Johnny wanted information so they could figure out what needed to be done.

"Bleeding, only a little." Jason said trying not to worry them too much. Liz had been given something mild to help her sleep, Kelly was hoping the rest would lower the blood pressure numbers some.

"Any isn't good." Francis said looking at his friend. "They stop it?"

"It stopped on its own. Liz's cervix is funneling." Jason only smirked a little when both men pulled out their phones.

"Shit." Johnny frowned reading the words on the screen. "What is the game plan?"

"Watch, wait, and pray. Kelly's goal was thirty-four weeks, now we try to hit that mark. She didn't say so, but it probably won't happen. Realistically now we are just trying to get close." He didn't have to say out loud that the longer the babies were inside Liz's body the better their chances for survival.

"The article I'm reading mentions stitches." Francis looked up at Jason. His friend looked exhausted. Skye's pregnancy had been textbook, so complications were not something he had experience with.

"Kelly said it's an option, but not right now. Now we just wait." Jason repeated as he rubbed his wife's back. He had done this to help her relax so the sedative took effect quicker.

"We will set up a rotation of folks to come sit with Liz. You will be with her most of the time, but you can't be here twenty four/seven. She'll kill you." Johnny said laughing. "I'll keep things running."

"Johnny you're still on leave." Jason wasn't going to let his friend go back to work early. It was bad enough that he cut his vacation short. "Cody is ready to take over, my grandmother will be happy to help him."

"You really want to go back there?" Francis said laughing. "I think if you leave them in charge again they are not going to return your territory."

"Cameron is at the mansion. My grandmother will be too busy fighting Alan for my son to want to run things permanently." Jason leaned back in his chair and let his friends' caring relax him. That was why they were here instead of at home. To find out how they could help, and to take care of him for a little while.

"When did the bleeding start?" Francis said getting back to Liz.

"Around eight-thirty. We were already in bed, she went to the bathroom." Most nights by eight they were both in sleepwear now. By nine his girl was fighting sleep and by nine-thirty she was out. He usually read or did work on his laptop wanting to be close in case she needed anything. "One minute everything was fine and then it wasn't." Jason's voice got hoarse as he finished up.

"Liz is a fighter, and those babies are her priority right now. She's going to do the best she can." Francis told his friend. They would all be praying.

"Kelly came by and asked me if it came down to it who should she save. She said that she doesn't intend to let it get that bad, but they needed to have instructions on file. I said Elizabeth, which would piss my lovely wife off." Jason said with a sad smile. "I can't lose her." His blue eyes sparkled with unshed tears. "I just can't."

"You won't Jason." Johnny truly believed that. "She has waited all this time for a chance to be with you. You won't lose her."

Jason just nodded and hoped his friend was right. "You guys should get home."

"Marco is sacked out on the sofa bed in the front room. Rory is on the door." The private suite was like one you would see in a hotel. "Meals will be coming so don't worry about that." Johnny let Jason know. "Just take care of Liz and the babies."

"That's all you need to focus on." Francis and Skye would certainly do their part in helping. Starting with visits to keep everyone's spirits up. "Do you need clean clothes for tomorrow?"

"Yeah." Jason nodded. Both men had keys to the house for emergency purposes. "A nightgown for Liz too."

"Skye is off tomorrow, so she's going to bring them." Francis told his friend. "You want to take a walk while we are here." One of them would stay with Liz while the other went with Jason.

"No, I tried earlier. Didn't make it past the door." Jason just couldn't leave. "I'll try again in the morning."

"Fair enough. Call us if there is any change." Johnny said getting to his feet. He was going to kiss his baby girl and hold his wife closer tonight. This could have very easily been him. "Get some sleep. You getting sick will only stress her out. Those numbers are high enough."

"Get out then." Jason said on a small laugh. Good friends were a blessing. When they were alone again he kicked off his boots and lifted up the blanket. Carefully he spooned up behind his girl in the extra-large hospital bed. Having her in his arms pushed the panic back, she was here with him. She was safe and people were watching to make sure she stayed that way. They would be okay. He closed his eyes and prayed that they would be okay.

* * *

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	35. Chapter 35

ABC/DISNEY owns GH. No copyright infringement is intended.

* * *

Chapter 35

"Hello my dears." Lila greeted her grandchildren with a smile as she rolled into the hospital room. "Elizabeth I've brought you a plant to bring a bit of color into the room." Alice put the bright bloom in a spot that Liz would be able to see it.

"It's lovely." Liz smiled at the deep pink flower. "That's a football mum, correct?"

"Well done." Lila positioned herself next to the bed. "Hanging around me isn't all bad. See Jason." The Quartermaine matriarch said with an innocent smile. "Cameron and Alan are at the zoo today. Thank you again for letting him stay with us. It's going to be hard to let him go back home."

"I miss him." Liz said trying not to cry. Her son came to visit a couple of times a week, and he loved chatting with her on the tablet. She just missed the small things like tucking him into bed at night or listening to him laugh.

"He misses you too. The both of you." Lila said looking at her grandchildren. She gave Jason a careful look over. "Take a walk." She told him. He looked tired.

"You're throwing me out. I haven't seen you in almost two weeks and now you are tossing me from the room?" He said feigning hurt.

"Don't exaggerate, you saw me just the other night when we forced you to stay for dinner." Jason came to the mansion to see Cameron once a day. They didn't want him feeling like he wasn't important too. Lila had guilt tripped her grandson into staying for the meal. Francis and Skye had dinner with Elizabeth. Lila Rae and Spencer were at the mansion for the evening meal as well. "Girls only." Lila said with an unrepentant grin. "Cody is waiting for you." The family figured if anyone could make Jason leave the room it would be Lila.

"I don't need Cody, I'm not going far." Jason stood up and kissed his wife before kissing his grandmother.

Lila looked at Alice who just nodded.

"Do I want to know what that is about?" Liz asked grinning.

"Alice and Cody are taking Jason to your house to put together the baby furniture. I don't think he is going to want to go. I also don't think my grandson can take Alice." Lila replied laughing. "Jason will no doubt be pouting when he returns." But for his mental health, and Elizabeth's, they needed some space.

"Thank you. I've been trying to get him to take some downtime. In some ways this is harder on him than on me." Liz commented.

"Nonsense. In no way is this harder on him than you. If there is a time in your life when you can make it all about you, this is certainly it." Lila wasn't surprised to hear her granddaughter say that though. Liz never felt she should be the center of attention. "How are you doing? Truthfully?"

"Scared." Liz admitted quietly. "Mostly. Also a little bored. I have a better understanding of the concept of cabin fever now. I'm tired of looking at these four walls. I want to feel useful, and I don't since I'm stuck in bed. I've been working on my sketches for the new book, and that's about all I can do." And her room was lovely, much nicer than most hospital rooms.

"No wheelchair races?" Lila asked with a smile.

"No. I'm not allowed to get up unless I have to go to the bathroom, which happens frequently." Liz said laughing. "Even then I have to call a nurse. So the rematch I asked for has to wait."

"I figured you were bored, so I want your help dealing with a problem in the family." Lila requested.

"Who this time?" Liz wasn't at all surprised that another dust up had occurred. The Quartermaines were rarely peaceful for extended periods of time.

"Monica and Em are not getting along." Lila figured that during her many visits Emily would not have brought this up. Monica either on the occasions she stopped by, which were less than her daughter. The Chief of Surgery got most of her information through Jason or Chloe.

"Monica has had a rough go of it lately." Liz said shaking her head. "Two daughters-in-law that she hasn't treated so nice, and now issues with Em. What exactly is the problem?"

"Emily will be here in about an hour or so. Between the two of us we are going to find out." Lila responded looking at her granddaughter.

Liz just laughed. "Let me page the nurse so I can go to the bathroom, that way we stand a fighting chance of doing just that."

* * *

"Are you going to pout the entire time you are away from the hospital?" Cody asked his boss.

"No, I'm going to be smiling really wide when I shoot you." Jason glared at his enforcer.

"Okay." Cody said looking over before bringing his eyes back to the project at hand. "But if you shoot me then your grandmother won't get to collect on her bet. Having worked with her I can say with complete confidence you do not want to piss her off. She wants her prize, I think she will kneecap someone if she doesn't get it. I'm counting on that to keep you from killing me."

Alice just snorted in amusement. The mob guys were a riot.

"Damn, I'm good." Johnny said looking at the completed crib. "That didn't even take me forty-five minutes."

"All the pieces are there right?" Jason just wanted to check. He was almost done his crib.

"Yes." Johnny said glowering at his friend. "One of those babies is my godchild so I will be double checking everyone's work." He told all the guys.

"Johnny is some sort of savant at cribs. He didn't take long to put together Lila Rae's or Meghan's. I'm not even sure he uses directions." Francis said where he was working on the final crib. He was only about halfway done.

"I think it's all the work on cars over the years. I just know how to put things together." Johnny said looking around for something else to assemble. The goal was to keep Jason away from the hospital for two hours. That would be easier if Cameron was around. "I'll start on the second glider. How hard are they Milo?"

"Not hard. I'm almost done here. I was planning on tackling the second chair, since I know what I'm about." The young guard was enjoying himself.

"That's a good plan. I'll move onto the closet systems then." Johnny decided. Cody was handling the shelving units while Alice was working on the changing stations. Liz didn't want a lot of furniture in each room, so there wasn't much to assemble. The cribs, one changing station, and both gliders were staying in this room until it was time for the babies to be separated. Everything else was going to the other two nurseries.

"Still no genders on the other two babies?" Milo asked finishing up the first chair.

"No." Jason said tightening a screw. "Just the one boy."

"What does Liz say?" Francis asked from his spot in the room.

"She has no clue, she is hoping for at least one girl." Jason didn't care at this point, he just wanted them all healthy.

"Daughters are the best." Francis had wanted a girl and he started spoiling her the minute she arrived.

"Daughters are terrifying." Johnny said laughing. "You just know at some point she's going to bring home someone just like you. But I wouldn't trade her for anything. Are you and Kelly looking to have little ones?" Johnny asked his friend.

"No." Cody liked children, and he enjoyed hanging around the kids his friends had. He just didn't feel the need to have any of his own. Kelly felt the same way. "Might get a dog though." He grinned. "What about you Milo?"

"I'm pretty sure that I need a lady for that." The youngest Giambetti remarked. "I'm currently single which puts me out of the baby brigade at the moment." He was pretty old fashioned about things like that, he wanted to be married before kids came along.

That made Alice laugh out loud.

"How long am I going to be forced to stay here?" Jason was finished with his crib, and as far as he was concerned that meant it was time to go.

"Two hours." Alice said finally speaking up. "Mrs. Lila said not a minute before. I have permission to take you out if you put up a fuss."

"My grandmother didn't say that." Jason immediately countered.

"Yeah, she did." Cody said laughing. "Those exact words. I was there when she said them. The woman is scary."

"What did she ask you for?" Francis wanted to know. Everyone stopped and looked at Cody.

"You'll find out when she wants you to know. I just mentioned her being scary." The enforcer said pulling the box containing another shelf system closer.

Jason just looked at his watch and started plotting on how to get away from his friends.

* * *

"Knock knock." Emily said standing in the doorway. "How's it going today?" She walked over and looked at the chart, which was how all her visits started. She tried to drop by once a day when she was working.

"My blood pressure was up at the last check." Liz knew Jason was going to flip out because he wasn't here. "Kelly came in and frowned at me." Liz was out of wiggle room. She was now officially borderline preeclampsic.

"She left notes for Sabrina, mentioning steroids." Emily said frowning.

"Dr. Lee mentioned they would help the babies with lung development as well as possibly lengthen the amount of time they are in the womb." Lila repeated what the doctor said even though Emily probably already knew what the medication did. Lila had offered to step out, but Liz asked her to stay. So she had held her granddaughter's hand during the exam.

"Your cervix is thinner but still closed and no more bleeding. So that's good news." Emily said taking a seat. "Has Steven been in?"

"Earlier, before the exam. Would you mind tracking him down. If you tell him he might have time to relax so I don't strangle him." Her brother was hovering big time.

"Sure thing. I got some news this morning right after rounds. The Jacks divorce is official and the courts just rendered their verdict on custody." Emily had been in with a patient who was watching one of those celebrity gossip shows. "Jax was awarded full custody, and Carly wasn't even granted visitation."

"Get out!" Liz said stunned. "No visitation? That's kind of harsh."

"Michael was the nail in that coffin. The judge had a talk with both boys, with child protective services in the room. He asked them who they wanted to live with. Both boys requested to live with their dad. Michael came right out and said his mother doesn't pay attention to him or Morgan when they are at her house. He said she spends most of her time with her lawyer trying to get the money she is owed. Direct quote."

"That's so wrong to have your own children testify against you. I guess she'll be coming back here then." Liz wasn't looking forward to that. "I'm not sure my blood pressure can take that right now."

Lila just stayed silent. Lady Jane had called last night to give Lila the news on the verdict. After ending that call Lila had immediately called Jerry, and explained that if he didn't want Jason on his doorstep tomorrow then Jerry would make sure Carly did not return to Port Charles. The youngest Jacks son said he would handle the problem.

"Let's leave Carly for a moment and talk about the problem you are having." Lila looked at Emily. "With Monica."

"Liz doesn't need to hear about that." Emily immediately countered.

"Try me." Liz had sensed Emily was off kilter all week, but her friend always side stepped the issue. "What is going on that you haven't shared with me?"

"I filed the adoption papers for Spencer last week, and my mother was less than thrilled about that. She admitted that she thought I was going to turn Spencer over to you after you had the babies. She thinks that my becoming a mother will derail what is left of my career." Emily said as she rolled her eyes.

"She still isn't over you dropping out of the surgical program?" Liz figured that issue was settled.

"No, but my dad told her not to bring it up again. That it was my choice to make. Dr. Brewer thinks I'm going to be brilliant." Emily was already at the top of her class. "I made the right call, just like I did with Spencer. Kevin is working with me, he thinks that this is a good step and one that Spencer needs. He needs stability, he is worried I'm going to go away too. It also feels right for me. I wasn't looking to become a mom right now, but Spencer fills a part of me I didn't know was empty. I love coming home to him. Talking about our days over dinner, we've become a unit. One that is strong." Emily defended her choice. She was hoping that in time that unit also included Dante on a full time basis. He joined them for dinner a few times a week if his schedule allowed, but still gave them time to themselves. Spencer loved Dante as much as she did.

"Sounds like you know what you are doing." Liz was proud of her friend for stepping up when Spencer needed her.

"I barely knew him when he moved in. Now I can't picture my life without him." Last month Kevin had stated that Spencer should stop visiting Nikolas. The prince's health had gotten to the point where the visits were upsetting for the little boy. Spencer was adjusting well to the change, his young age helped with that.

"Monica is just worried that you are making a lot of huge decisions all at once." Liz could see the mom perspective.

"Are you siding with her?" Emily asked surprised.

"No. You have my full support. I'm just saying that since you are a mom now, look at it from her perspective. She worries, and Monica tends to criticize first. Not the healthiest way to get her opinion out there, but it's how she is." Liz said shrugging.

"Monica loves Spencer, so that isn't the issue." Lila said adding her two cents. "She has welcomed him into the family the same way she welcomed Cameron. I think your mother feels a little left out." Both younger women were looking at Lila as she spoke. "I think what is at the root of all this is that you have recently made some major life decisions on your own. It is hard when a mother realizes that her children aren't children who need her guidance anymore. It's a paradox because we raise you to stand on your own and meet life head on, and when you accomplish that we end up feeling left behind." Lila had experience what is was like to watch your child take their steps into the world, so she could speak from experience. "I cried for days when both Alan and Tracy left for college. They were ready to leave home, I knew that, but emotionally it was still hard to accept." She said smiling at the memory.

"I never thought of it like that." Emily had been refusing to even talk to her mother she was so angry at what she saw as a lack of support. "She can't make these decisions for me."

"No she can't." Liz totally agreed. "But she can listen while you decide what to do." A relationship with her mother never happened so Liz didn't want to see Emily lose hers.

"Take some time and then go talk with your mother." Lila suggested.

"I think I'll do just that." Emily said really hearing the two other women in the room.

* * *

"Hi." Liz said waking up from her nap.

"Hi." Jason said softly. "Did you have a good sleep?"

"I did." She said stretching a bit. "The babies woke me up." It was romper room time.

"They are active." His hand was on her stomach. "You're blood pressure is up." He had read the chart.

"Kelly will be in shortly to check again and talk to us about our options." Liz was almost at thirty-two weeks and she was thinking her time was up.

"Whatever she says we can handle. The nursery furniture is all together. The linens and clothes are washed and waiting. The childproofing company was out last week to update everything." Jason said brushing her hair off her face. He loved her so much and he was so scared he was going to lose her.

"We got this." Liz said linking their fingers. "Are you going to the mansion for dinner?"

"No, Cameron is coming here. I figured you could use a visit." Jason knew that more than anything lifted her spirits.

"I'd love that. Let me call the nurse to bring in the bedpan." Trips to the bathroom were now out. Kelly said walking around was too much of a risk. "Then we'll get set up for our visit."

* * *

Thanks for the reviews!


	36. Chapter 36

ABC/DISNEY owns GH. No copyright infringement is intended.

* * *

Chapter 36

Kelly saved the Morgans for last stop of her day. She stuck her head in and saw that Cameron's visit was over. "How is the munchkin?"

"Good." Liz said wiping away tears, it had been hard to let him leave.

"He can come more often." Kelly said looking at the information Sabrina left. The residents were not permitted to touch Liz, just observe. Kelly only wanted experienced doctor doing the work ups. "With him not in daycare he doesn't carry as many germs." She let them know. "Your blood pressure has not gone down." Kelly walked over and sat on the side of the bed.

"What does that mean?" Jason asked taking a deep breath.

"It means steroid shots, and in roughly forty-eight hours a C-Section." Kelly was hoping the bethmethasone would have the added benefit of lowering Liz's blood pressure some. It would go up due to nerves as they wheeled her into surgery. They didn't have any room for that.

"No other choice?" Liz figured no, otherwise Kelly would have mentioned it.

"You don't get to die on my watch trying to make it to thirty-four weeks, and that is a real possibility now." Kelly said being blunt. She knew her friend was stubborn enough to try to postpone the surgery.

"If it comes down to it protect the babies." Liz hadn't talked about this with Jason, and the look on his face said he didn't agree.

Kelly already knew Jason's stance and to prevent a fight, which would raise Liz's blood pressure the doctor answered before Jason could. "I'll make the call that is best when we are in surgery, if we find ourselves in that position. The easiest thing would be for you to not put me in that position." Kelly said with a sunny smile. "Okay?"

"Okay." Liz said gripping Jason's hand tight.

"Don't fight about it." Kelly told Jason. "Save that for after the trio are out."

"Alright." Jason did want to talk about that.

Kelly called the hub and the nurse brought in the syringe. "Time to show some leg." The doctor joked. The medication was administered in two doses and would be injected in the fleshy part of the hip.

"This is going to sting." The nurse warned. "You might feel flushed after and you will definitely feel a little sleepy. So it's good you are getting this at night. You will get the second dose in the morning, so you'll have a nice nap then too." She injected the medicine and then put her thumb on the spot applying a bit of pressure to help with the stinging. "Dad rub this area for a few minutes, keep the blood circulating and get the drug moving."

Jason did as instructed.

"Hurt?" Kelly asked once the nurse had left.

"Feeling it." Liz said blinking back tears, because yeah it stung. "When are you off?"

"Not for another few days. The nurses have orders to call me at home if I'm need. Not to go through my service. Nadine is on overnight and I used the fact that you are the Chief of Staff's sister to get Piph for the next week." Kelly had no problem playing dirty.

"Matt must hate you." Liz said knowing the neurosurgeon would have protested loudly at that move.

"Nope. He didn't even argue. I think that crush he had on you is paying off." Kelly said laughing.

"Matt had a crush on you?" Jason hadn't known that.

"For about a week." Liz said shooting her friend a dirty look.

"Please, he was still carrying that torch when the news broke about your wedding." Kelly said causing trouble.

"Don't you have anyone else to torture?" Liz wanted to know.

"Not really." Kelly said getting to her feet. "I'm still going to leave because I want you to get some sleep. I'll be back in the morning to pick up where I left off."

"Lie down." Jason helped her stretch out and she rolled to her side facing him.

"Are you angry?" Liz asked him.

"Kelly said not to talk about that now." Jason reminded his stubborn wife.

"That's a yes." Liz muttered to herself. "Jason." She started.

He leaned forward and put his lips on hers. They were not going to talk about this now. "Go to sleep Elizabeth." Her eyelids were heavy and she looked just like a sleepy Cameron.

"Love you." Liz said as her eyes shut.

"I love you too. All of you." Jason said as his hand slowly rubbed her tummy. He would join her in bed shortly, but now he needed to say a prayer. "Keep them safe. I know I'm the last person who has any right to ask for favors, but please keep them safe."

* * *

The next morning Liz had breakfast and got her second shot. Not even an hour later she was out cold. When she got up Kelly came up to do an exam. The doctor had just left when there was a knock on the door. "Want some company?" Chloe asked her cousin.

"Absolutely." Liz said and then clapped when Johnny followed with the stroller. "Give me that baby."

"Manners." Johnny said being cheeky.

"Behave." Chloe told her hubby.

"Do you have any hand sanitizer I can't go to the bathroom?" Liz rubbed the gel into her skin. "Okay hand her over."

"Here you go. We thought you might like to see her, and Johnny was pouting because we hadn't used the pram yet." Chloe poked her hubby some.

"It has flames on the side. That is too awesome not to use." Johnny said totally serious. The carriage was black with orange, yellow, and red flames painted on both sides. Liz had laughed her ass off while applying the embellishment.

"So what's the latest?" Chloe wanted to know.

"C-Section, probably the day after tomorrow." Which would be over forty-eight hours after the first injection. The steroids worked best between two and seven days after administered.

"Shoot over the information when you get it and we will come to the hospital." Johnny figured Jason would be in the OR too, so the family would sit together. "Ready for some fresh air?" The Irishman asked standing. "The ladies can talk badly about us while we are gone."

"That covers Chloe, but what will Elizabeth do?" Jason asked with a grin.

"Ha ha." Johnny said shaking his head. "I liked you better when you were in Borg mode. No bad jokes."

"Borg?" Jason had no idea what that meant.

"We need to watch Star Trek at some point." Johnny was a die-hard fan of the various series and the movies. He would bring his friend up to speed, and laugh as Jason asked a lot of questions. Fiction was not something his friend saw the point of. Johnny was guessing being a dad would change that.

"Be back shortly." Jason said giving Liz a kiss.

"I might even let you hold the baby when you get back." Liz said before cooing at the infant in her arms. "She is so beautiful."

"She gets that from me." Johnny said smiling.

"Go on with you." Chloe just shook her head and shooed both men out.

"What's up?" Jason got that Johnny wanted to talk.

"Have you gotten an update on Carly?" Johnny asked as they headed down to the lounge. It was a nice open airy space that was generally empty.

"Not recently." Jason knew his grandmother was monitoring that situation but wouldn't speak on it unless she had to.

"The divorce is final and she lost custody. Not even any visitation." Johnny started his report there. He had gotten all this information from Cody, who no doubt got it from Lila. "Carly's first move was to call you."

"She was told that would be a mistake." Jason knew she wouldn't listen.

"She called and left you a voice mail requesting that you help her. Saying that you were the only chance she had of getting her sons back. That Sonny wouldn't want Jax raising his boys. From what I hear it was an Oscar worthy performance. Of course she mentioned your promise to always be there for Michael." Johnny said stretching out his legs. Lila had apparently called in another marker and had someone watching Carly. They had no idea who, but that person was doing a bang up job of keeping them informed.

"No attempt to induce guilt would be complete without that." Jason just didn't understand why Carly didn't get the hint that he no longer wanted her in his life. He could have easily ignored his grandmother and called his former best friend but hadn't. That right there was the only clue she should have needed. He was glad that he got a new phone, his grandmother had requested to keep the old one.

"I'm not done." Johnny told his friend. Milo had followed them down and was sitting facing the hall. He would signal if anyone was coming, which left the two men free to talk. "She ended her call with a request for you to handle Jax. Now given who you are that can only be taken one way."

"She requested a hit over voicemail? Does she not understand what could happen if the phone got hacked?" Jason couldn't believe that.

"Spinelli handled it. There is no trace of the message, or that the call even took place." Johnny told his friend. "From her phone or your old one." Because their tech guy was just that good.

"Has my grandmother handled this?" Jason needed to know. If she hadn't then he would need to. Carly's recklessness was not going to cost him a future with Elizabeth and their children.

"With a swiftness that makes you look like a sloth. The woman is scarily efficient and apparently when she calls people snap into action." Johnny found that mindboggling.

"She call Tagliatti?" Jason figured that would be the fastest way to handle things. He did owe her a favor.

"No. Because your grandmother, and my cousin, is not that obvious. Do you know who Brian Beck is?" Johnny asked his friend.

"Never heard of him." Jason said frowning.

"Me either, but apparently Lila, or someone she knows, has. And someone must have something on him because last night he met Carly in a bar and not an hour later rammed his car, with her in the passenger seat, into a tree. His official story is she attacked him while he was driving, and he's got the scratches and bite marks to prove it. That one minute she was fine and the next she went ballistic. He also said that she unbuckled her seat belt and lunged from her seat which is why they hit the tree. She went through the windshield."

"Dead?" Jason asked Johnny.

"As a doornail." Johnny confirmed. He didn't see this as a loss. In fact his only emotion had been relief that Jason didn't have to order the hit. "I had Spinelli do some digging because I wanted to know who Beck was, and I don't have the balls to ask Lila."

"Is he connected?" Jason thought maybe Beck had a connection to another family.

"Not to us. Not to anyone as far as I can tell. Brian Beck is a cop." That had left Johnny and Cody both floored.

"Seriously. Lila got a police officer to take out Carly?" Jason asked wide eyed.

"He told his fellow officers she was attempting to get into her car. She was clearly plastered so he offered to drive her home. Apparently there have been a rash of women walking out of bars, getting into a taxi, and then turning up dumped by the side of the road. So he didn't want to her to go that route. Folks are freaked down there and so far no one can find this cab or its driver. Each time he shows up the car has a different number. The number of the vehicle the company says it's sending." Johnny filled in some of the blanks.

"It's the perfect cover. As an officer of the law he couldn't let her drive drunk, and knowing about the serial killer he opted to drive her home." Jason said shaking his head.

"He said she was screaming about all men being evil, and she wasn't going to let him get away with this." Johnny thought Lila had played this pitch perfect. "The responding officers reported that Beck was shook up. He was trying to do a good deed and it just went wrong. The folks at the bar said Carly was acting belligerent, shouting at men that they would all pay. Then she stormed out of the bar leaving her tab unpaid. It was apparently quiet the show. He claims to not know who she was when he offered her a ride. Said he doesn't follow the gossip rags."

"Any clue why Lila picked him?" Jason was just curious.

"No, he squeaks he is so clean. Spinelli couldn't find a thing and he looked deep. I know this was Lila the timing says so, but there are no strings leading back to Port Charles. This is the most sterile hit I've ever seen." Johnny was impressed something that didn't happen often. "It's insane how good she is at this."

"I'm kind of jealous at her level of skill." Jason said flabbergasted. "That loose end is tied up, we don't need to spend any more time thinking about Carly." And he didn't feel any remorse or anger at how it played out. "I need to get back to my girl." He got to his feet and did just that.

* * *

"Good morning." Kelly walked into her friend's hospital room. "How are you doing today?"

"Nervous. Excited." Liz said looking at her husband who was smiling at her. "We get to meet our children today." She said rubbing her tummy. Since waking up she had been doing her best to stay relaxed. "So when are we doing this?"

"Eleven o'clock." Kelly told her friends. "On the dot. I have all the consent forms, because we don't want you to sue your brother." Even though Liz was a retired nurse Kelly was doing this the same as she did for any other patient. "The anesthesiologist will be in shortly to talk about what he will doing. You'll be getting a spinal block. After that one of my residents will be in to discuss post op pain med options. Pick one of the drugs he offers, I'm going to be taking three babies out you there is no need for you prove how big your boobs are. We already know. Any questions so far?" Kelly figured that Liz would have explained almost all of this to Jason already.

"No." Jason told the doctor. Last night he and Elizabeth had gone through what would happen today. He was worried but had faith in their doctor.

"While my staff is getting Liz set up in the OR, you Jason will get to put on a lovely pair of scrubs. We give you a choice of blue or green. Then you'll be shown into the OR and you'll take a seat up by Liz's head and you will stay there." Kelly had dads who tried to wander, she didn't tolerate that. "We should be in the OR about thirty to forty-five minutes to get the kids out. We won't leave right away because I have to get the placentas out as well, with three that takes longer. I'm gonna stitch Liz up after I'm done she gets wheeled out and taken to recovery. Then back to her room. Now while I'm tending to mom the babies are going to go with Dr. Maggie Smith. You guys met her yesterday." Kelly got two nods. Liz of course already knew Maggie. "Jason you have the option of going with them or staying with your wife. Your guys have already been cleared to follow the babies. One has been cleared to sit in the neo natal room, and one has been cleared to stand in the hall. Liz we will get you up to see your little ones as soon as possible. Probably not until tomorrow morning." The wait would be hard, but they wanted to monitor Liz to make sure she was okay.

"That long?" Liz was surprised, she was hoping to go up right away.

"Yeah." Kelly got this a lot. "I'm not trying to torture you, but a C-Section is major abdominal surgery so I want you still in the beginning. Tomorrow you'll be encouraged to get up and walk around if you look good. You two will be allowed twenty-four hour access to your babies as long as they are here, Maggie will go into more detail about their care but I wanted to let you know that." Kelly smiled at her friends. "I can't wait to meet your little ones." She said letting the doctor façade slip a bit. "And I get to see them first!"

"That's the important thing." Liz said laughing.

"Yeah, it really is." Kelly said with a bright smile. "Okay I'm around, page me if you need me. I'll leave you two to get ready. Just kick back and relax."

The doctor walked out and Liz looked at Jason. That he had been so quiet during Kelly's visit wasn't surprising. He was simply taking in the instructions. "Ready?" She asked him.

"So ready." Jason said putting his hand on her stomach.

* * *

Thanks for the reviews!


	37. Chapter 37

ABC/DISNEY owns GH. No copyright infringement is intended.

* * *

Chapter 37

"Cameron is downstairs so we are going to have a snack and then I'll bring him up for a visit." Jason said leaning over and kissing his wife's lips.

"Okay. I can't wait to see him." Liz said smiling up at him. "Enjoy yourself. Behave." She instructed arching a brow.

"Please, we both know he'll be fighting off nurses. Cameron is a chick magnet." Emily said from her chair.

"Ignore her." Jason said getting another kiss. "I'll be back in about half an hour or so." He was looking forward to time with his son.

"Can I do anything for you?" Emily asked once her brother was gone.

"Lower my blood pressure so I my babies don't have to come out today." Liz couldn't help the part of her that felt like a failure. Like she couldn't do the thing her body was designed for.

"I would if it was within my power." Emily said covering her sister's hand. "You were a nurse, a damn good nurse. No a great nurse." Em said correcting herself. "You know that with triplets the odds of you getting to forty weeks is slim. With your history you never stood a chance. But you got them to thirty-two and the odds are in their favor now." It might sound cold but knowing her best friend Emily got that medical facts would help Liz deal with the guilt more than anything else.

"Yeah." Liz said rolling her neck to loosen the tight muscles. "I would kill for a hot chocolate."

"I'll have one delivered with dinner." Emily promised with a smile. "With lots of whipped cream."

"I plan to breastfeed, so no caffeine just yet." Liz told her friend. "You remember why from your intern rotations?"

"Newborns can't process caffeine until roughly three months. Their new little bodies can't eliminate it so it can build up." Emily recalled.

"A gold star for you." Liz laughed. "I'm going to eat an entire pan of brownies when chocolate is reintroduced into my diet."

"Can I get an invite?" Emily wanted to know.

"Only if you bring your own brownies. I am not going to share." Liz said totally serious.

"Harsh." Emily said laughing. "Fine, I'm going to go out and find the most decadent brownies on the market and eat every single one in front of you."

"They won't be as good as mine." Liz said with a slow smile.

"No, they won't." Emily conceded from the corner of her eye. Liz's numbers were high. Since she was facing surgery that wasn't surprising, but everyone would feel better when they dropped back closer to normal.

Liz just smiled in triumph before her eyes rolled up and she passed out.

"Liz!" Emily was instantly on her feet pushing the alarms to call the staff. "Marco! Call Jason!" She called out instructions as she checked respiration and pulse. The staff rushed in and when they pulled back the blankets to move Liz into a more prone position they saw the growing pool of blood.

Kelly came running in. "Unhook her and call downstairs. I want an OR ready to go by the time I get there. I want my staff here stat!" The doctor started calling out orders. Her crew was all in the building because that was how she liked it on surgical days. "Get Sabrina to monitor my patients." Kelly yelled over her shoulder as she ran to the stairs while Liz was pushed into the elevator. "How was her pulse?" She asked Emily who was right behind her.

"Still high, but lower than the numbers I had seen on the monitors before she passed out." Emily reported as they ran out onto the surgical unit. They both got changed faster than would seem possible and headed to the washroom. "Do not overstep Emily, I will throw your ass out of my OR. I'm going to be focused on Liz and her babies, I don't have time to make you feel better."

"Would it be better if I stayed out?" Emily wanted to be there for her best friend, more than anything. At the same time this couldn't be about her.

"Yes." Kelly said bluntly.

"I'll wait for Jason, and we'll go to the gallery." Emily said drying her hands.

"Good." Kelly walked into the OR, got her gown and gloves then headed to the table where her staff was prepping Liz. "Okay sweetie. Don't stop fighting now." Kelly told her friend. "Eight blade." She asked calling for a scalpel. She'd get the babies out and then find the source of the bleeding.

* * *

"What happened?" Jason ran up with Steven behind him.

"I'm going to scrub up." Steven was totally going to use his status to crash the surgery.

"Don't. Kelly will eat you alive." Emily told her boss. "She told me I wasn't welcome, I doubt you will be and this isn't the time for her to be thinking about anything but Liz and those babies. I have no idea what happened. One minute we were laughing and she just passed out. Come on." Emily said taking them into the gallery. "She started bleeding heavily."

The three of them watched as Kelly made the first cut. Monica walked in and stood to the side of her son but didn't speak. In under two minutes the first baby was out. Another three minutes brought the second baby, and three minutes more the final of the Morgan children made an appearance.

Emily took her brother's hand in hers. They still didn't talk as they watched the pace of activity pick up in the rear of the OR where three teams of pediatricians under Maggie's supervision got the babies cleaned up, placed into incubators, and rushed to the door.

Jason placed a hand on the glass like he could reach through and touch his family. His children were on their way to the neo-natal ward but his wife, his heart, was still on the table. He had no idea where he was supposed to be.

"She would want you with the children." Steven said from where he was standing beside Emily.

"I don't want to leave her." Jason was very aware that Kelly wasn't sewing his wife shut. The doctor was still requesting instruments which meant she hadn't fixed whatever was wrong.

"Just because you walk out of this gallery doesn't mean you have left her. She knows where you will be." Emily told her brother. "We'll watch over her while you check on the babies. We need to know what the genders for the other babies are."

"Call me if…" Jason couldn't even finish.

"Go." Emily said blinking back tears. If the worse happened she didn't want her brother to witness it. Didn't want him to have that memory.

Without a word Jason walked from the gallery to go meet his children.

* * *

"Pressure?" Kelly called out.

"One hundred over fifty and dropping." The nurse called out.

"Shit!" The doctor was trying to find the source of the bleeding and failing. "Suction!" She said needing the area cleared so she could see. "I can't fucking see!"

"More lap pads!" Piph called out knowing that was what Kelly was going to call for next.

"I may have to keep you Piph." Kelly said trying to get a good look. "Where is the blood I called for?!" She was demanding in the surgery and every member of her team rose to the occasion.

"Coming now." Another nurse said rushing in. "There is no more B negative after this, so if you call for more it will be O."

"I won't call for more. Get that blood set up. Piph." Kelly said looking at the head nurse, the doctor had made a decision.

"Yeah." The head nurse knew what was coming. "Clamp?"

"Clamp." Kelly said holding out her hand for the instrument.

* * *

Jason had to be buzzed into the neo-natal unit. Then he had to scrub up and put on booties, and a surgical gown. Gloves weren't necessary because he wouldn't be touching the babies just yet. From the back of the room Dr. Smith waved Jason over.

While he walked through the ward he saw other parents visiting their children. Some were impossibly tiny, so small it seemed a miracle they were even alive. Several had unusual pigmentation to their skin. He knew yellow indicated liver issues, something common with preemies, but one child was an ashen gray color and he had no idea what caused that. All the babies had multiple tubes attached to them, and as Jason got closer to the back of the room he saw that was the case with his children as well.

"I know it looks scary." Maggie said standing beside him. This was a talk she had a lot of practice with. She was the head of the neonatal department at General Hospital. A job that was as rewarding as it was heartbreaking.

"How big are they?" Jason asked his eyes latched onto his youngest children.

"Come closer." Maggie invited leading Jason over until they were standing next to the first incubator. She loved these little boxes. The technology had come a long way since they were first invented. Now the incubators did more than just keep the babies warm, with advancing technology they helped give preemies the best chance of surviving. "Kelly took them out in a different order than they would have been born in, so we now have a new A, B, and C."

Jason just nodded looking down at the tiny infant. "This is my son." The blue tag that said Morgan gave it away.

"Baby A." Maggie said smiling. "He weighs three pounds even. Unlike most babies who go to the nursery down the hall, your triplets should not lose any weight." If they did it was a sign something was wrong.

"The tube in his nose is feeding him?" Jason recalled reading about NG tubes when researching preemies.

"Yes. The other wires do things like register heart rate, temperature, blood pressure, blood sugar levels, and organ function especially their respiration." Maggie figured Liz would go into more detail with her husband. The doctor didn't want to overload Jason with too much information right now. Her experience with other parents let her know he wasn't giving her his full attention at the moment.

Jason nodded moving to the second incubator. "I have a daughter."

"Yes, congratulations." Maggie said smiling. "She weighs three pounds, six ounces and is the biggest of the babies." Like her brother she was a healthy shade of pink. "All three babies have very good lung function, but we will be keeping a close eye on those numbers." Respiratory distress was the leading cause of death for preemies. Even when the babies went home the doctors would be listening closely to their lungs during follow up visits. "They have good brain function as well." Which was an indicator they were getting enough oxygen.

Jason walked over to the final incubator. "Another daughter." His voice was gruff as he blinked back tears. "She's smaller."

"You have a sharp eye. This cutie weighs two pounds and eight ounces." Maggie told Jason. "She yelled all the way upstairs." The doctor said laughing. "Your other two settled down pretty quickly."

"They're beautiful." Jason said looking at his other two children from where he was standing.

"They are. We have them in birth order, so your son is the oldest. Make sure he knows that when his sisters gang up on him." Maggie had a good feeling that the Morgan triplets were going to do just fine. "If everything goes well, then you'll be able to hold them in a few weeks. Right now they can't control their body temperatures so we can't remove them from the incubators, but you can come up and sit with them as often as you like." If Liz had made it to thirty-four weeks then they might have been able to hold their babies the next morning.

"I need to go back downstairs and tell Elizabeth about our children. We have to make final decisions about names." Jason said placing a shaking hand on the top of the incubator. "She is going to want to see the babies as soon as possible."

"You can snap some pictures." Maggie let him know. "To tide her over. When you guys decide on names you can either come up, or call. We will put up new tags so that the staff can start using them." As she watched Jason's eyes took in the room.

"My children are big compared to some of the other babies." Jason commented.

"Don't think about that. I know it sounds harsh, but there is nothing you can do for the other children on the ward. We give everyone the best care possible, your trio need you full attention." Maggie told him. The neonatal unit could be a hard place to visit, Jason had enough to focus on adding guilt to the mix wasn't going to be helpful.

Jason nodded again and walked back to the second incubator placing his hand on the top. He did the same thing with his son, he just wanted his children to know that they weren't alone. That their parents loved them. "I'll be back guys, behave for the doctors."

Maggie had to smile at that. "They are Liz's children, I don't see good behavior happening." She joked. "Cameron can't come visit." She said frowning.

"Germs?" Jason guessed.

"Yeah, at his age he is covered with them." Maggie liked Cameron, he was a happy and fun child. "He can meet his siblings when they are discharged." Either to go home, or if they were doing well down the hall to the nursery. From there they would go home.

Jason took some pictures. "I'll be back up later. If something goes wrong you'll call?" He just wanted to check.

"We will be calling with updates no matter what. Every few hours to the nurses' station on the maternity ward. The nurse on duty will put the call through if you are awake, If you aren't she'll write down the message and pass if along in the morning." Maggie told him the procedure. She didn't want them panicking when the calls came in. "I'm on for the next thirty-six hours, and I only live twenty minutes away if I need to come in."

"Thank you." Jason said looking at his children once more. He would head to the chapel to light some candles for them, after getting an update on his wife.

* * *

Kelly and Piph scrubbed clean and watched as the cleaning crew sanitized the OR. Liz had been wheeled out a few minutes ago, heading to recovery. Normally after a surgery like this one the patient would go to ICU, but the maternity ward had more nurses per shift than any other ward in the hospital. When the nurses weren't in the room it was good bet that the members of Liz's family that worked here in the hospital would be. So there would plenty of folks keeping an eye out.

"You did what was necessary." Piph said breaking the silence.

"I know." Kelly said shaking her head. "I just hated to have to make that call." The doctor grabbed a paper towel and dried off. "I need to go find Jason. It would be best if he was there when I talk with Liz."

"You want me to come too?" Piph normally wouldn't.

"No, but you checking in on Liz later wouldn't hurt." Kelly said leaning against the sink. It had been a long afternoon. "Also start thinking of what bribe you want to switch to my service."

"I'm expensive." Piph said laughing. That was such a Kelly statement.

"Me too." The doctor said laughing. "If I can't get it, my very resourceful boyfriend can. I'm totally serious about that." Kelly said before walking out of the washroom.

Piph dried up and headed out as well. She would swing by the chapel before going upstairs and getting a peek at the babies.

* * *

Thanks for the reviews!


	38. Chapter 38

ABC/DISNEY owns GH. No copyright infringement is intended

* * *

Chapter 38

Liz's eyes fluttered as she slowly opened them. Jason and Kelly were both standing there when the room came into focus. "What's wrong?" They were both clearly concerned. Liz's hand went to her stomach and she went from confusion to panic. "Where are the babies?!" She still had a swollen abdomen, but it was a lot smaller now.

"It's okay." Jason said running his hand over her hair. "It's okay." He repeated kissing her temple. He had been worried at how long it was taking his wife to wake up.

"The babies are in the NICU." Kelly said also relieved that her friend was up. "You suffered an abruption due to your blood pressure spiking." The doctor began explaining. "You passed out and starting hemorrhaging, so we had to rush you into surgery."

"The babies are okay?" Liz looked at Jason begging him with her eyes to tell her that their children were alive.

"Look." Jason said taking out his phone and showing her the pictures. "One boy and two girls." He said smiling. "They are beautiful."

"You went to see them." Liz said touching the screen as her eyes welled with tears.

"I went to the NICU while Kelly was working on you." Jason told her.

Liz could hear the guilt in his voice at the choice he had made. "Good." She said letting him know that was what she would have said if she could. "When can I go see them?"

"In the morning." Kelly repeated what she said earlier, she sat on the side of the bed. "Liz there were some complications during the surgery." The doctor had already told this to Jason, and had learned something surprising. However Kelly was still worried about her friend's reaction.

Liz lifted her eyes from the screen and looked at her husband before looking at her friend. "You performed a hysterectomy?" The former nurse guessed. Her medical training let her know what the side effects of an abruption were.

Kelly nodded. "A partial hysterectomy. I removed your uterus but not your cervix, ovaries, or fallopian tubes. I'm so sorry Liz, I couldn't stop the bleeding any other way. It was that or lose you. As it was you lost a good amount of blood so you're going to have a longer than normal recovery."

"Jason has a vasectomy scheduled in a few weeks." Liz told her friend. "Which he can now cancel." Liz said looking at her husband. "We had already decided that we weren't having any more children."

"He told me, but that was a choice you two made together. Vasectomies can be reversed if the two of you changed your minds. This can't be." Kelly explained the difference.

"You saved my life." Liz wasn't trying to be a Pollyanna. She got that this was something that she had to deal with, but the decision meant she was waking up. That she was alive to be with her family, so Kelly had done the right thing. "Am I going to start menopause now?"

"No." Kelly got this question a lot when she talked to patients about this surgery. "You still have your ovaries so your hormone levels aren't going to change, just no more menstrual cycle. Your sex life should still be good as well." She couldn't help adding. "Because I'm assuming it was good to start with."

"Kelly!" Liz said swatting her friend. Jason was turning pink.

"There won't be any sex for eight weeks though." Kelly let them know. She was still going to be keeping an eye on her friend. Just in case in the coming weeks depression started creeping in. Although the three babies she just gave birth to might push the partial hysterectomy to the side for a while.

"Do I really have to wait until tomorrow to see my children?" Liz got back to what was important.

"Yes." Kelly told her friend. "You need to spend tonight resting. If you don't allow your body to heal you can't take care of your family. In the morning Jason can push you down the hall in a wheelchair after I poke and prod you. Tomorrow afternoon we are going to get you up on your feet for some very limited movement."

Liz nodded. Over the next few days she would gradually increase the amount of time she spent walking around. However she would be facing a limited activity decree due to the blood loss. One Jason would make sure she observed. "I'm going to behave."

"You don't really have a choice. Your hubby over there doesn't strike me as the type to let you break my rules." Kelly said smiling. Liz was going to be well cared for. "I'm going to go so that the two of you can come up with names for those adorable babies. Page me if you need me." Kelly said walking out of her friend's room. She needed to go find her residents and tell them that she wanted a close eye kept on this patient.

* * *

"Want to see the babies again?" Jason asked holding out his phone. While they were waiting for Elizabeth to wake up, Kelly had given him a crash course on hysterectomies. His girl had the least invasive of all the options, but it had saved her life so he was grateful that the choice was made. Still he would be checking in to make sure she was okay with what had happened.

"Of course I do." Liz said taking the phone. She scrolled through the images and wiped away tears. "Look at them. Tell me what Maggie told you."

Jason's photographic memory came in handy, because he was able to repeat what the doctor said word for word. His girl was sobbing by the time he was done, and he knew that they were happy tears. "Our babies still need names." He said moving so he could sit on the bed and hold her in his arms.

"Let's start with our son." Liz said placing her ear over her husband's heart. "How is Cameron?" She asked looking up.

"He's okay." Jason said rubbing her back. "After I talked with Kelly, I went to my mom's office where Cameron was playing." He explained. "He doesn't know anything went wrong. He misses you." Jason said kissing the top of her head. "Kelly said that he can come visit you tomorrow."

"Good. Now back to our other son." Liz said settling in again. "What do you want his first name to be?"

"I get to pick?" Jason asked grinning. "Are you sure?"

"I want to pick his middle name, so you can choose his first name." Liz thought that was fair because she wasn't going to compromise on her choice.

"Jacob. Jake for short." Jason really liked that name, the connection to their life was just a coincidence. "What is his middle name going to be?"

"Edward." Liz said with a small smile. "Jacob Edward Morgan." She said the full name.

"I like that." Jason knew that Lila was going to cry when she heard it. "What about our little girls?"

"I have a feeling this won't be as easy." Liz said lifting up the phone and scrolling to the pictures of their oldest daughter. She studied the image, and trying to decide what name would fit. "Gabrielle Lila Morgan. What do you think?"

"That's perfect." Jason said smiling. "I can call her Belle."

"Your daughters are going to be spoiled." Liz said shifting to get more comfortable.

Jason shifted as well so that his wife was between his legs and could lean back against him. "That just leaves our littlest one. You pick her first name."

"Let me guess, you want to pick her middle name?" Liz asked smiling as she stopped on a picture of their youngest child. She was curious what name he had in mind because they had used Lila for their oldest daughter. "Kaitlyn. I've always loved that name."

"Kaitlyn Elizabeth Morgan." Jason said looking down at his wife. "I want my girls to be named after the strongest women I know."

"You want to name her after me?" Liz hadn't even considered that. "That seems a bit egotistical." She told him.

"Sons are named after their fathers all the time. I see no reason that our daughter shouldn't be named after her mother." Jason wasn't going to change his mind. "You said I could pick." He reminded her.

Elizabeth couldn't even say anything. She tried to blink back the tears, but it just didn't work. "I'm telling everyone it was your idea." She finally managed to get out.

"I think everyone will know." Jason said kissing the side of her neck. "I was so scared this afternoon." He said softly. "I thought I was going to lose all of you."

"I'm sorry you had to go through that." Liz said softly. "I love you, I'll always fight my hardest to stay with you. I was laughing with Em and then nothing." She told him.

"Em was amazing, calm under pressure and she got you the help you needed." Jason was grateful his girl wasn't alone when the emergency happened.

"She's going to demand to be named the godmother to all three for her heroism." Liz said rubbing his arm, Jason was trembling which let her know just how scared he had been.

"I have no problem with that." Jason said giving his girl a gentle squeeze. He needed to be mindful of her incision. "She can have whatever she wants. I'll get her an island of her own for her next birthday." He just let Elizabeth's closeness calm him.

"I don't think that's necessary." Liz chuckled. "A Swiss chalet is more her style. That goes better with the tiara we gave her for her birthday."

"Done." Jason said kissing the soft skin behind her ear. A knock on the door interrupted their snuggling.

"Hey." Steven said smiling at his sister. It had been hard to stand in the gallery and watch Kelly save his sister's life. He wanted to be down there helping. "I got a call that you were up."

"Sorry, I should have let you know myself." Liz held out her hand so that he would come closer.

"You were busy." Steven kissed his sister's forehead and then sat down. "I love you Lizzie."

"I love you too." She said smiling at her big brother. "Have you seen your newest nephew and nieces?"

"No." Steven said pulling his chair closer. "I can't go into the NICU to visit them."

"Why not?" Jason asked his brother in law.

"Only approved visitors are permitted around the babies." Steven said with a smile. "And only the staff who work in the NICU are on the ward. Even the Chief of Staff must bow down before Dr. Maggie Smith."

"Do you need me to call over?" Liz hadn't known that. When she worked at the hospital she rarely spent any time working with children, so she didn't know the rules of the NICU or the nursery.

"Are you going over tonight?" Steven wanted to know. "You can just tell the nurses then."

"Jason is going over." Liz said just a bit sad. "Kelly said I can't go until tomorrow morning."

"I'll put everyone's name on the list so you guys can go in." Jason figured Emily was probably crawling up the wall. He leaned back and pulled out his phone. "I'm sending out a text letting Monica and Emily know you are up. We need to call the rest of the family too."

"I can handle that while you are with the kids." Liz would need something to keep herself from crying over the fact that she couldn't see her babies just yet. "I'm sure that folks will head over." The visitors would be nice. "Take some video for Lila."

"Hi." Emily was breathing hard and smiling when she walked into the room. She had run up the steps to come back to the room. "You scared me." No point in holding back.

"Sorry." Liz got a hug from her best friend, who then hugged Jason. "Thank you, your fast action saved us."

"I'll remind you of that on my birthday and at Christmas." Emily said taking a deep breath to keep from crying. "So when can I see the babies? Which are?"

"Two girls and a boy." Liz said smiling wide.

"Two girls?" Emily said before laughing. "This is going to be so much fun. Jason will be totally gray before they start walking."

"Especially if they were like Lizzie when she was growing up. Hopefully they won't smoke though." Steven said with a smirk.

"You smoked?" Jason said surprised. That was not something he knew about her.

"Yes, it was a very short lived phase." Liz shot her brother a glare. "I was trying to come off as tougher than I was because I felt neglected."

"You were neglected." Steven said being honest. "By all of us."

"It's better now and that's what is important." Liz didn't want him to feel guilty. They had talked about those years and she had let it go. Steven was the only member of her family she was close with but she did talk to everyone else several times a year.

"Your babies are going to have a lot of love." Emily couldn't wait to go over and see them. "So that is not something you need to worry about. They are also going to have plenty of playmates. Although your son is seriously outnumbered by the girls.

"I'm sure Cameron and Spencer will have his back." Jason said laughing.

"Names?" Emily wanted to know.

"Jacob, Gabrielle, and Kaitlyn." Jason said smiling. "That's the order they were born in."

"I'm going to go shopping for baby clothes. I'm sure Skye and Chloe will come with me." Emily was so excited.

"Newborn would be best for now, and don't go crazy." Liz advised. "Babies this age don't really need anything but sleepers."

"I'll try to contain myself, but I make no promises. Cameron is sleeping over at my place tonight." Emily said getting up. Liz looked tired. Major blood loss took time to recover from, not to mention the C-Section. "So call there to say goodnight. Skye came to get him from Monica, so all the kids are at the Corelli compound at the moment. I think Johnny and Chloe are there too."

"Good, then I only need to make one call." Liz said starting to fade. It was hard to keep her eyes open, and Jason was so comfy to lean against.

"After nap." Jason said softly as his wife drifted off.

"Call me when you go over to visit. I'll sit with Liz so she won't be lonely. Olivia is sending dinner later." Steven said covering his sister's hand. "I'm going to try and pretend that I'm being productive."

"I'll going to head out as well." Emily said to Steven as she carefully got off the bed. "You should nap too Jason, it's been a stressful afternoon." She wanted her brother to know they were there for him too.

"I will." He promised. At the moment he just wanted to enjoy having his wife in his arms.

* * *

Thanks for the reviews!


	39. Chapter 39

ABC/DISNEY owns GH. No copyright is infringement is intended.

* * *

Chapter 39

"Congratulations!" Skye came in and gave her sister a kiss on the cheek. She was followed by her hubby who had a bunch of balloons in his hand.

"Cameron will love those." Liz said smiling. There were eight balloons, four were blue and four were pink.

"I'll swing by later and drop them off at Em's for the kids to play with." Francis said kissing Liz's cheek too. "She has all the munchkins tonight. Dante is lending her backup." Francis looked his friend over. Liz was paler than he'd ever seen her, and he was so thankful Cody's girlfriend was good at her job. "Johnny and Chloe are over looking at the babies."

"You could have gone too." Liz knew that when a new baby arrived that was who folks really came to see.

"Mom needs visitors too." Skye said taking a seat. "Mom also needs gifts." She said handing over a bright and shiny gift bag.

"Thanks." Liz gave them a wide smile. "Two visitors at a time?"

"Yup." Francis answered laughing. "Not that we don't love you." He tacked on.

"I'm just not a brand new baby." Liz replied pushing the tissue paper aside.

"Take out the envelope because that's our gift. The item on the bottom is from Johnny and Chloe." Skye let Liz know. Her friend would want to wait until they were over to unwrap that.

"This is why women have babies. For the gifts." Liz said grabbing the green envelope. "Do I need to wait for Jason?"

"Nope." Francis said with a grin. "It's not for him. Dads don't get gifts when babies arrive. Which is totally unfair."

"Give birth and that will change." Skye said laughing at her husband's pout. She knew he was doing that to make Liz smile.

Inside the envelope was a card congratulating them on the new arrivals and a picture. "Wow!" Liz said looking at her friends. "Thank you."

"You're welcome." Skye had picked this gift. She had one at home and knew it was amazing. "You can use it while you are feeding the babies." The warming foot massager would help keep Liz relaxed during the times when she was sitting in the glider. "Its fleece lined so it's soft on your feet."

"I will make good use of this." Liz promised her friends. Even after the babies were older this would come in handy on days when she was chasing everyone around. "Jason is going to be helping with the feedings so it won't be too bad." Without having to be told Liz knew that she wasn't going to be breastfeeding. Her body was too weak and the odds were that she wouldn't be producing enough milk to feed the triplets.

"Emily sent me an invite to go shopping." Skye passed along. "She, Chloe, and I are going to make an afternoon of it and have lunch. Chloe and I want to be nosy and check to see how Em and Dante are doing. I bumped into Olivia and she said Dante was looking up gemstones on his phone, but closed the search when she walked into the room."

"Really?" Liz said smiling wide. "I hope that means an engagement."

"Men can give women rings without an engagement coming into things." Francis said just to slow his wife and sister in-law down a bit. "They haven't been dating that long." He was protective of Emily and just wanted her to not end up with another asshole like Nikolas turned out to be.

"Someone is in big brother mode." Liz snickered. Looking up she saw Johnny open the door for his wife. "Time to swap visitors."

"Jason is waiting for you guys." Johnny had needed a minute after leaving the NICU. Seeing all those small and sick children made him so grateful that his baby girl had been born with no issues. The Morgan kids were doing great, but they still had a long way to go. He was going to be praying every night that they stayed strong.

"Down the hall?" Francis checked. Jason had been in the hall when they arrived.

"Straight down. You will see the signs." Chloe told her friends. "How are you doing?"

"Tired." Liz knew there was no point in lying. "Worried." She knew Chloe would share this with Skye. In fact the two women probably worked out who would have this talk with Liz. Francis would more than likely have some version of this chat with Jason. Johnny couldn't do it without crying.

"Your kiddos are beautiful." Chloe had started crying the second she saw them.

"I haven't seen them yet. Not in person." Liz said her eyes flooding with tears. "I feel empty because they aren't inside me anymore, but they aren't in the room either. Cameron was in my room within hours of being born."

Chloe just squeezed her friend's hand. There wasn't anything she could say to make this better. All she could do was pray, which she would. "I love the names you guys picked."

"All that fighting and when the time came it was so easy." Liz said taking the handkerchief Johnny was holding out. His green eyes were sparkling with tears. "You doing okay?"

"I'm good." Johnny was not going to turn this visit into her comforting him. "That little one looks like she's gonna be a handful."

"You are only saying that because her middle name is Elizabeth." Liz shot back with a glare.

"And can I say major husband points to Jason for that move." Chloe said grinning. "Take notes Johnny. That's how you get your swagger on."

"He wouldn't know about swagger if it wasn't for me." Johnny told his wife. "You want us to send you anything?" He asked Liz.

"Chocolate ice cream." Liz knew that her actually asking for something would make Johnny feel better. It would make him feel useful. Not being able to fix this for her and Jason had to be frustrating him and Francis.

"It will be here before visiting hours are over." He promised her.

"Open the gift." Chloe had gone shopping with Skye once they got the text that Liz was awake.

She looked in the bottom of the bag and started laughing. "You guys shopped together." Liz pulled out a pair of shearling lined slipper boots.

"They have a slip proof bottom so you don't have to worry when you are walking around with one of the babies." Chloe had a pair, gifted by Skye, and loved them. "They are also so comfortable. Use your massager then put these on to hold in the heat."

"Thanks guys." Liz said letting their love pour over her. It was just what she needed.

* * *

"How are you doing?" Francis was standing with Jason and they were watching Skye talk to the babies.

"Tired, scared, grateful." Jason started listing emotions. "You want me to go on?"

"Get it all out." Francis encouraged his friend.

"Angry." Jason tacked on. "I shouldn't be angry. Everyone is here and doing well, but I feel like Elizabeth shouldn't have to go through this. She's been through enough in her life, so she shouldn't have this."

Francis let his friend vent. "You want to talk about the guilt?"

Jason didn't say anything.

"The feeling that maybe if you had been a better person the universe wouldn't be screwing your family over." Francis knew all about that. Skye had been in a terrible car accident right after they got engaged. It was through hard work in physical therapy that she was able to walk down the aisle on their wedding day under her own power, but in the beginning the doctors said she wouldn't ever walk without a limp. The fact that the person who hit her was someone that had a grudge against Francis made him wonder if the universe was telling him he didn't deserve to be happy.

"I don't deserve them." Jason said looking at his children. "My life since I woke up in this same hospital has been filled with acts I don't want my children to emulate. And I know that when I go back to work I'll be committing more of those acts." He said being honest. "Nothing about that says I deserve to be happy or to have someone like Elizabeth in my life."

"Yet she is." Francis looked over at his wife. He had been able to get out, and yeah he did that for his girls, but Jason never would. "Which should tell you something."

"It does. It tells me that there is something inside me worth loving." Jason said smiling. "I'm not having a crisis. I'm just stating the facts. I don't deserve them, but I'll fight to my last breath to keep them in my life."

"Good to know." Francis said nodding. "Two girls."

"Yeah." Jason said smiling. "I'm probably going to need some advice." He knew that Johnny had asked the same thing of their mutual friend.

"Listen to your wife." Francis said laughing. "Also understand that you have no power in that relationship. They are gonna own you just like Liz does. I'm hoping our next kid is a boy, I will need the back up."

"Is Skye pregnant?" Jason asked his brother in-law.

"No. We are thinking on next year." Francis passed along.

"Gonna be lots of little ones running around." Jason said looking back at his children. "Never saw this for us when I first started working for Sonny."

"Me either. Its funny how life takes you to unexpected places, but I like to think we all ended up right where we needed to be." Francis wasn't a Sonny fan, and he thought that Jason wouldn't have ever really been free to have this life if Sonny wasn't in a coma. The older man was just as possessive of Jason as Carly had been.

"I'm done, for now." Skye said smiling. She planned on being a regular visitor while the kids were in the hospital, and once they went home. She also knew Jason would be anxious to get back to Liz.

"Let me know when you guys want to come back." Jason said as they walked down the hall. Steven had left out that the visitors needed to be accompanied by a parent when they were in the NICU. In the nursery they even got little ankle alarms. The hospital took security of its smallest patients seriously.

* * *

In the room Chloe was on her phone, Johnny was watching television, and Liz was sleeping. Jason just smiled at how beautiful she looked.

"She just fell asleep." Johnny said quietly.

"Kelly said napping would be a frequent thing in the next couple of weeks." Jason explained. "Because of the blood loss. Not that giving birth is the easiest thing." He tacked on.

"She requested some chocolate ice cream so I'm going to go arrange that now. One of the guys will bring it buy later." Johnny told his friend as he linked his fingers with his wife's. He had a pressing need to go home and hold his daughter.

"Call us if either of you need anything before one of us returns." Francis told his friend. At least one of them would be back in the morning.

"Thanks." Jason nodded as his friends walked out. He dimmed the lights and carefully snuggled up with Elizabeth. He would rest because more visitors would be coming.

* * *

Monica and Steven stopped by while Liz was sleeping. Monica got to have a short visit with her grandchildren before she was paged. Alan arrived shortly after Liz woke up and had a nice visit before Jason took his dad across the hall to see the babies. Liz was flipping through the channels on the television when there was a light tap on the door. "Come in."

"Hello my darling." Lila sat smiling as Reginald opened the door.

"Grandmother." Liz couldn't help but smile. She used the remote to lower the bed so they would be closer together. "I wasn't expecting you."

"I wanted to have a visit. I'm not permitted in the NICU but I can come see you." Lila had a weak immune system so that made her a risk to the infants struggling to be healthy.

"I have pictures." Liz said smiling holding up her phone. Jason sent her new ones every time he went to visit. "Jason is over with Alan."

"I'd love to see them." Lila had smiled at the earlier images Jason sent her. "They are so precious." More family to love. "My grandson has not sent any names with his text messages." The older woman said arching a brow.

"That was deliberate. We wanted to tell them to you in person." Elizabeth explained smiling.

"I will wait then. What have the doctors said about your recovery?" Lila wanted Elizabeth to know that she was loved too.

"Eight weeks for the incision site, I'll also have more than normal post birth fatigue." Liz shared what Kelly had said. "I just need to take it easy and let everyone help me."

"Good luck with that." Lila said with a wide smile. Liz wasn't used to being on the receiving end of care.

"Hello Grandmother." Jason walked over and kissed her cheek. "My dad is heading back to the university." Alan was now the Dean of the medical school.

"That's fine." Liz patted the bed next to her. "Grandmother would like to know the names of the babies." Jason handed Liz her phone. "This is Kaitlyn Elizabeth." She started with their youngest.

"A strong name." Lila thought the inclusion of Elizabeth's name was a fitting tribute.

"This is Gabrielle Lila." Liz said introducing their middle child.

"Thank you." Lila said blinking back tears. She was honored that they would include her name in their daughter's.

Liz handed the phone to Jason so he could introduce their son. "This is Jacob Edward Morgan." He said softly.

Lila took the tissue Reginald was holding out to wipe away her tears. She missed her Edward every day. While many, including those in the family, only saw a prickly and gruff Edward she always saw the soft heart underneath. He was the love of her life. It was a love that death did nothing to diminish. "Thank you. Your grandfather would be proud to know that you named your son after him."

"Let's just hope Jake isn't as stubborn as the old man was." Jason said joking.

"Because you aren't that way at all." Liz said calling him out.

"I'm not anything like my grandfather was." Jason said and both women snorted.

"The two of you were cut from the very same cloth. You even have the exact same scowl." Lila corrected her grandson.

"I don't scowl." Jason said doing just that.

"There it is." Liz said laughing. "I wonder if Jake will inherit that."

"Cameron already has it down." Lila let them know. "It's adorable."

"I don't scowl." Jason mumbled which made both ladies laugh harder.

"Edward liked to mumble under his breath too about all the things he didn't do." Lila said catching her breath. "It's a habit that Alan has picked up. So like grandfather, like father, like grandson."

Jason kept his mouth shut because he wasn't going to argue with his grandmother, or wife. But he was nothing like Edward.

Lila could read him like a book, and she shared a look with Liz that said they both knew what Jason was thinking. "Do you need anything?" They would leave Jason alone for now.

"Not at the moment thank you." Liz answered for them both.

"If that changes just give a ring." Lila would be sure to get it to the hospital as quickly as possible.

"We can call Johnny or Francis, that way you have more time to get into trouble with Cody." Jason said with a mischievous grin.

"One must always have a suitable partner in crime. Liz and Emily know that." Lila said not denying Jason's statement. "He's a good student. Diane can get us bail if necessary."

"If you get caught." Jason said laughing.

"Which we won't because I'm that good." Lila knew what he was curious about. They would talk about just what happened to Carly later. "I will go now, I need to see how many people Cody kneecapped today." She said being a smartass, the enforcer was doing a good job of running things. They had talked over tea earlier in the day.

"Behave Grandmother." Jason said shaking his head while Elizabeth laughed.

"I have no intention of starting now. I do have a reputation to uphold." Lila said blowing Elizabeth a kiss as she was wheeled from the room.

"Don't worry someday you'll be that awesome." Elizabeth said patting Jason's hand.

"It's nice of you to tell me that lie." He responded before kissing her soft lips. "I took a few more pictures before Alan left." Jason said handing over his phone so they could look at their children.

* * *

Thanks for the reviews!


	40. Chapter 40

ABC/DISNEY owns GH. No copyright infringement is intended.

* * *

Chapter 40

It was ten when a light knock sounded on Elizabeth's door. Visiting hours were over, and the evening nurse had already come in to do her check which meant she wouldn't come back unless called. If any of their family members were still in the building they could drop by, but Liz knew they would call first.

"Hello." Epiphany said stepping into the room.

"Hi Piph." Liz said sitting up. She had been drifting some. Jason nodded at the head nurse but didn't say anything. "I thought you would be gone by now."

"I decided tonight would be a good time to stick around and make sure everyone is doing as they should." Piph did this once a month on a random date to keep her nurses on their toes. The night shift was expected to perform at the same high standard as the day shift.

"Thank you for being the OR with Kelly." Liz told her friend.

"It's what we do. We take care of one another when it's needed." When Stan died Liz had been the first one over, and the younger woman had been a constant support through the weeks following the funeral. "Know what else we do?" The older woman asked grinning.

"No." Liz had seen the playful side of Piph before. The head nurse loved to make Cameron laugh.

"We break rules. Well I break rules." Which was one of the perks of being the boss. There was another knock and the same nurse who was in earlier returned with a wheelchair. "Jason I'm going to need your help with this." Piph was now manning the chair. "Carefully lift Liz out of the bed and put her in the wheelchair."

"Where are we going?" Liz asked hoping her guess was correct. Jason lifted her as Piph transferred the IVs over.

"To see those babies." Piph said patting Liz's shoulder.

"I thought she had to wait until tomorrow?" Jason asked smiling. He had been feeling bad all day that he could go to the NICU and Elizabeth couldn't.

"I am more than capable of supervising this field trip." Epiphany let him know. "Besides I haven't seen the cuties yet, I got interrupted earlier, and I figured since I was going down I'd take Liz with me. You can come too, if you want."

"You do need a parent." Jason said taking over the steering.

"No, I don't." Piph corrected him. "I can go on the ward anytime I want."

"I thought all visitors needed to be with a parent?" Jason asked confused.

"I am the head nurse of this hospital. There isn't a ward in this building I can't work, or am restricted from visiting whenever I want." Piph said punching in the security code. It was not a privilege she ever abused.

"Steven needed me to come with him." Jason pointed out.

"Steven is only the Chief of Staff. Which means he is feared less than I am." Epiphany said with a straight face. "Also I'm not afraid of Maggie like he is." The head nurse chuckled.

Liz listened to the conversation but didn't take part. She was too excited about the prospect of seeing her children. She also knew that Piph wouldn't be taking her to the NICU without Kelly's knowledge. The ob/gyn had probably told Epiphany to wait until she left the building to go on this excursion. Sabrina was probably standing by in case something went wrong.

The NICU was one of the most active overnight wards in the hospital. Several patients had nurses or residents giving exams or updating charts. At the moment the Morgan children were unattended, but by the time the party of three arrived a scrub clad young man was waiting for them. "Hi. I'm Dr. Joe Atkins, Maggie's Fellow." He said introducing himself. "She called to say you were coming over and that I should make myself available to answer any questions."

"How are they doing?" Liz was looking from one incubator to the next.

"Outstanding." Dr. Atkins was happy to report. "All their vitals are strong and they are filling up diapers which we like."

"No jaundice?" Liz asked still looking at her children.

"No, but that is something that may not present immediately. Liver function tests are all coming back on the high end of normal. I can show you how to read the monitors." He offered. The machines were not like the ones on the general wards. So staff who didn't work in the NICU usually needed assistance with the readouts.

"Yes please." Liz knew Jason would pay attention so he knew what he was looking at too.

"Give a holler when you are ready." He told her, knowing that time with her children was more important.

"I'm going to go see what my nurses up here are doing." Piph wanted the family to have some private time. "Call me if she needs me." She told Jason.

"I will." Jason promised. "Who would you like to visit first?" He asked squatting down to look at her face.

"I don't know." Liz said blinking to keep the tears from falling. She wanted to be able to clearly see her children. "I just want to hold them all."

"I know." Jason said brushing back a stray curl. "We'll get that chance."

"Take me over to Jake." Liz requested, their son was the closest to them. "He's perfect. I love you Jake." She said placing a hand on the warm glass. "Look at those little fingers and toes. He has blonde hair." It was so light and fine that it didn't come through in the pictures. She said giving up and letting the tears come. "I know it might fall out, but I hope it doesn't." She would love it if Jake looked like his dad.

"Can I see Gabrielle?" Liz asked looking up at her husband.

"Yeah." His voice was gruff with emotion as he answered.

"Oh look at her." Elizabeth said crying harder. Again she placed her hand on the glass. "I love you Belle." She said using the nickname Jason had given their middle daughter. Fingers and toes were counted again. As they watched she opened her eyes briefly. Dark blue orbs greeted them, but Liz knew that the eye color of babies often changed.

"Kaitlyn please." Liz said looking at Jason.

Silently he wheeled her over.

"Oh, she's tiny." Liz said touching the glass. "I love you Katie. She almost doesn't look real." With the babies being small they resembled dolls, and her heart broke at how fragile they seemed. However her children were fighters, they were already proving that. "The girls don't have any hair." She said laughing.

"They are still beautiful." Jason said kissing the top of his wife's head. "Just like their mom." His hand was on her shoulder and she brought hers up to cover it.

They sat in silence for a moment with their children. "We should have someone bring us some books so we can read to them. They probably miss that." Liz said wiping away tears. Jason read to them every night. The sound of his voice often soothed her as well.

"I'm reading Paddington at the moment, so I'll bring my tablet over tomorrow when we visit." Jason read to Cameron before reading to the babies. In fact it was their oldest son who picked what stories his siblings should hear.

Elizabeth nodded her eyes on her babies. Just seeing them had her blood pressure going down. Jason grabbed a chair and positioned her in the middle so she could see everyone clearly in the low light. "I love you." He said linking their fingers and lifting her hand so that he could kiss it.

"I love you too. Thank you for our children." She said giving him a smile.

Together they sat and watched their babies sleep.

* * *

Joe came over and walked them through the machines monitoring their children. Even Liz had to admit that it was much more complex that the machines in other departments. The only place that rivaled the NICU was Neurology. After the demo he left them alone again.

They sat talking quietly and then in silence until Jason felt Elizabeth leaning heavily against him. He had to smile when he saw that she was asleep.

"I guess she's ready to go back to her room." Epiphany said with a smile.

"Yeah. Thank you for bringing her over. She needed this." Jason carefully shifted her and they headed out. He got her situated on the bed while Epiphany set up the IV bags. "Am I looking for anything because of our trip?"

"Nothing special. Liz knew that sitting still in the wheelchair was the way to go. The nurses will be popping in and out all night. They will notice if anything is wrong." Not due to fear of her, but due to fear of Kelly. She was as demanding as Piph. It was why they got along so well. "I'll be back tomorrow if you need anything you can call me."

"Thank you." Jason said again as he kicked off his shoes. He would get some sleep because tomorrow they would be heading over to the NICU early.

* * *

"Looks good." Kelly said examining her incision. "I do some damn fine work." The doctor said grinning. "Did you know I did an extra rotation in Plastics to improve my suturing and still finished top of my resident class? You will have minimal scarring because as I mentioned I'm good."

"Is there anything else about you we should know?" Liz asked straightening her nightgown.

"I was top of my class in medical school, and the head resident." Kelly said making notes in the chart. "I also do a mean two step."

Liz couldn't help it she just laughed.

Jason was silently taking it all in. He wanted Liz to be healthy, without her none of this would make any sense. "Still eight weeks of healing time?" He finally asked.

"Yup." Kelly said closing the chart. "Let me go get Maggie" She said heading to the door. "Do you mind if I stay?" Kelly wanted to know. Liz wasn't just her patient and those babies were family.

"It's fine." Liz said after looking at Jason.

"Those three little cuties are doing great." Maggie said with a smile. "Eight weeks premature isn't the hurdle that it once was. Jake has already gained a couple of ounces, so has Gabrielle. Kaitlyn is putting on weight the slowest but her numbers went up this morning so I'm not going to panic."

"You'll just keep a closer eye on her than her siblings?" Liz figured.

"Exactly." Maggie was encouraged by what she had seen so far. "We are going to stay vigilant and not worry unless we have to. I do have some fun news to share."

"Okay." Liz squeezed Jason's hand. Their babies were doing great.

"You did not give birth to identical triplets which you know because of the mixed genders." Maggie started there.

"That's the rarest type of triplets, correct?" Jason thought he recalled reading that.

"Gold star for Jason." Kelly said laughing. "That's is indeed correct."

"Fraternal triplets then." Liz was fine with that.

"Sort of." Maggie said grinning. "They are triplets, but they are also twins and a single."

"Seriously?" Liz asked surprised.

"Wanna guess?" Maggie looked at the other three adults.

"Just tell us." Kelly said lightly shoving her colleague.

"This is why we don't invite you to staff game night. You are too impatient." Maggie said laughing.

"Keep it up and I won't introduce you to Marco." Kelly knew her fellow doctor was crushing on the mob guard.

"Marco?" Liz said starting to smile. "I will make sure the two of you met. Kelly will just dangle him in front of you because she's evil."

"I make it look good though." Kelly said laughing.

"The babies." Jason said getting the ladies back on track.

"Jake and Gabrielle are fraternal twins. They share their father's blood type of O negative." Maggie told everyone. "Kaitlyn is the singleton and she has her mother's blood type of B negative. This is only possible because each baby had its own sac." She explained.

"Wow." Jason said as a slow smile came to his face. "I told you she should be named after you."

"That's incredible." Liz said flabbergasted.

"It's not even the strangest thing we've seen with multiples." Maggie said shrugging. "When you check out of chez General Hospital, you'll get all the official paperwork with their information. I'll stop by and talk with you again then." She would be telling them that even though Liz was no longer a patient they still had around the clock access to their children. "This is why I love being a doctor. You never know what the day will bring."

"Amen sister." Kelly said getting a fist bump. "Okay you guys have gotten enough of our time. We have other folks to go dazzle. Buzz if you need anything." The doctors headed out to see more patients.

"Triplets made up of twins and single." Jason said looking at his wife. "We don't have to worry about telling the girls apart now." It didn't really matter to him how the triplets were formed.

"They're doing well." Liz commented, stating what the really important thing was.

Jason stood up and kissed his wife. "They are strong like you."

"Like us both." Liz said leaning into him. "You've survived your share of things too."

"I'm not sure the world is ready for them." He said laughing. "Our four kids are going to be amazing."

"No matter what they choose to do in life, they will always have our love and support. I think that will make all the difference." Liz said snuggling closer. "Let's go have a visit."

"Let me get a wheelchair." Jason said before giving her a kiss and walking out of the room.

* * *

Jason was helping Elizabeth back into the bed when they got a visitor. "Monica." Liz said seeing her mother in-law before her husband. "Hi."

"Hi." The Chief of Surgery said with an uncertain smile. "You were asleep when I stopped by before, and since I was down the hall on a consult I thought I would check to see if you were up." A new mom was ready to have her heart murmur treated now that her baby was here.

"Come in." Jason said to his mother. "Have a seat."

"Did you want to see the babies?" Liz figured that was why Monica was stopping by.

"I only have a few minutes at the moment, but I'm hoping to come back later. I managed to book a surgery for myself." Monica told them. She only got in the OR a few times a week these days. "They are beautiful and I'm hoping that you will let them come visit the mansion often. We enjoyed having Cameron stay over."

"I'm sure he enjoyed staying." Now he was at the Corelli's. Liz was looking forward to them all being home together. "Cameron will be able to show his brother and sisters all the best spots at the mansion." Liz said smiling. She was hoping Monica would relax some, the older woman was sitting ramrod straight in her chair. "I'll keep my fingers cross you can have that visit after your surgery."

Jason was watching the interaction between the two women. His wife was correct, Monica was tense like she was expecting to be told to leave at any second. She was sitting on the edge of her chair ready to run.

"I'll try my best to get away. How are you doing?" Monica asked checking in.

"Sluggish, but I know that will pass." Liz could see Jason watching them from the corner of her eye.

"You don't need to be tense." Jason said speaking up.

"What?" Monica looked over at her son.

"Elizabeth forgave you. She isn't going to take that back." Jason told his mother. He could have just stayed silent, but that wouldn't fix the issue. His wife wasn't going to call her mother in-law out on her behavior, so he would.

Monica looked between her son and daughter in-law. "I know you forgave me for Jason. Not because I deserve it, because I don't."

"No, I didn't." Liz was surprised to hear the older woman say that. "I love your son, which is what I said when we talked, but not enough to pretend to like you if I don't." She said being blunt. "We don't have to get along to be part of the same family. The Webbers prove that. I forgave you because you were genuinely contrite about your behavior. The fact that you showed remorse means you did deserve a second chance. I'd like for us to be friends, I'd like for you to get to know me as Jason's wife and the mother of your grandchildren."

"I'd like that too." Monica said with a real smile. "The babies are beautiful."

"Yes they are." Liz said laughing. "If I'm asleep when you come back you should still go see them."

"Hopefully you'll be awake and the three of us can go together." Monica said as her pager sounded. "I guess my break is over. I'm going to try to make it back." She said getting to her feet.

Jason walked his mother out, when he came back Elizabeth had her hand out. "Thank you for saying something." She said urging him down next to her. "I don't think your mother would have believed me if I said anything on my own."

"Forgiveness is not something the Quartermaines excel at." Jason said on a laugh. "They don't seem to know what to do when it's extended, or how to give it when it's needed. Give her time, she'll relax."

"I hope so. Otherwise between me and Skye, Monica is going to develop an ulcer." Liz joked. "I'm going to take a nap that way I'll be awake later when your mother comes back."

"A nap sounds perfect." Jason said pulling his wife closer and closing his eyes.

* * *

Thanks for the reviews!


	41. Chapter 41

ABC/DISNEY owns GH. No copyright infringement is intended.

* * *

Chapter 41

"Ready?" Jason asked Elizabeth.

"No." She said quietly shaking her head. Her eyes were already filling with tears. "I know we have to go." She said in an even softer voice.

Jason turned the wheelchair around and headed for the door.

One week ago their children had come into the world, and now Elizabeth was going home without them. Kelly had managed to delay her friend's discharge but this day still came. Last night she had barely slept because she knew that when the sun came up her time as a patient in the hospital would be over. Her time of being right down the hall from her babies would be up.

But she had to go home because another emotion was pressing down on her. Guilt. She hadn't really spent much time with her eldest child since getting admitted to the hospital. Yes Cameron came to visit every day since his siblings were born, but that was only for a few hours. He hadn't slept in his room in weeks. His needs had to be considered as well, it was time his normal was returned to him. Time he got his mother back for more than just a visit.

"Remember, you still need to take it easy." Kelly told her friend. "Going home doesn't mean fully healed." C-Section patients normally got four days, which was longer than most hospitals let them stay. Kelly had stuck to her guns and demanded this protocol, and considering she frequently got very good job offers from other medical centers she got her way. Liz stayed for three more days due to the partial hysterectomy, even Steven as the Chief of Staff couldn't get her any more time. "Make sure she listens." She said to Jason.

"I'll keep an eye on her." Jason said also trying to hold it together. Even if Elizabeth had made it to thirty-four weeks they might have gone home without their children. So it was something they were already prepping to deal with, including talking with Kevin Collins. It still hurt though.

"Your children are still going to get top notch care." Maggie promised both parents. She had done this more times than she could count, and recognized the hollow look in her friend's eyes. Unfortunately the only thing that would end the pain was their babies going home.

"Thank you." Liz said taking a deep breath. Everything inside her was screaming not to leave her babies.

Jason just nodded.

"In the week that they have been in the NICU we've seen everything that we need to. They are doing great, and I'm confident they will continue to do great." Maggie told her friend. The Morgan triplets were not born with any complications which increased their odds of going home at the forty week gestational mark, possibly earlier. Not all preemies had the tough road that television and movies liked to portray. In fact these days babies born after thirty weeks had the odds firmly in their favor when they had top notch medical care. "I'll see you tomorrow when you come visit."

"Tomorrow." Jason replied. They had spent the past few hours with their babies, and now were going to spend the rest of the day with Cameron. The chances were good that either he or Elizabeth were going to come back after their oldest son was sleeping.

Downstairs Kyle, because Cody was watching the territory, and Marco were both waiting. They exchanged a worried look when the Morgans came into view. The pain they were feeling was right there on their faces. "You drive and I'll send a text to Johnny." Marco told his friend, who just nodded in response. No one expected today to be easy. They did want to make sure the boss and his wife were doing okay.

* * *

Liz managed to make it a full block from the hospital before the tears started. Jason just unbuckled them both and put her in his lap. Kyle slowed down some to compensate for the fact that neither of his passengers were in their safety gear. For the duration of the ride the only sound in the car was Elizabeth crying. "We're here Jason." Kyle said quietly.

Marco got out and opened his boss's door so that he didn't have to let his wife go.

"Thanks." Jason said shifting to get his keys out, which turned out to not be necessary. The front door opened before they reached it.

"Hi." Johnny said stepping back so that his friends could enter their house. He had used his emergency key to get in. "There is water in the living room."

Jason just nodded as he carried Elizabeth into the bright front room. He placed her on the couch and reached for the glass of water. "Drink this."

Liz took it and had a few swallows, using the time to get herself back under control. "Sorry."

"Don't be." Jason said with a sad smile. "I feel like crying too."

"I think I just needed to get it out before Cameron gets home." Liz looked up at the clock. "I need to go wash my face. I don't want to look a mess when he gets here." She said handing her husband the glass.

"Not possible." Jason said happy when she blushed some. "I like your outfit." She was in a red maternity wrap top, dark wash maternity jeans, and leopard print flats because Kelly still had a ban on heels. Without needing to be told Jason knew the outfit was picked for Cameron. Red was his favorite color now and he loved to watch the leopards at the zoo.

"Thank you." Liz said blushing brighter. "I'm happy that I can put on one of my wedding bands again." She was wearing the eternity band Jason gave her, the original wedding set still didn't fit. "Let me go get clean. Cameron will be here shortly."

Jason watched her walk slowly from the room before heading into the kitchen where Johnny was waiting. "Kelly call you?"

"Marco." Johnny was sitting at the table drinking coffee. Jason got a cup and joined him. "Where's Liz?"

"In the bathroom crying before she washes her face." He knew his girl well. He would give her this bit of space because he knew she hated to cry in front of other people, even him.

"I'm not going to hang around I just stopped by to check on you guys." Johnny didn't think he would have been able to walk out of the hospital under his own power if he had to leave his child there. "And to tell you what we've arranged."

"Arranged?" Jason repeated trying to think what needed arranging.

"When you put Cam down for the night call Cody and he'll send over Lee, who will stay in the house while you and Liz go visit the babies." Johnny said before finishing his coffee. "This would have occurred to you eventually, but you've had other things on your mind." The Irishman said. "Skye will be by tomorrow to tell you the rest of what we came up with."

"You guys had fun planning our lives." Jason was grateful for his family.

"Well duh. You suck at it, and Liz is off her game. Understandably so." Johnny said giving his friend a smirk. "Once she's back to her super-efficient self the rest of us will go back to staring in awe and wondering how the hell you managed to end up with her."

Jason laughed which felt really good. "Thank you."

"You're welcome. I'm going home, call if you need anything." Johnny said getting to his feet.

"We will." Jason promised as he walked his friend to the door. Johnny's car pulled out and the nanny pulled into the driveway. She parked and helped Cameron down to the grass. The little boy was smiling as he ran over to his dad. "Hey buddy."

"Hi daddy." Cameron said before putting his head on his father's shoulder.

"How are the babies?" Ali wanted to know. She really liked working for the Morgans. They were just nice people.

"Good." Jason told the young woman. "Thank you for your extra time during the pregnancy."

"Cameron is a joy to spend time with." The nanny replied. "I'm around if you need me to watch him while you are at the hospital." This job was part time, but the pay rate meant Ali didn't need another client. It also gave her access to a lot of really good looking guys, which wasn't a bad perk. She really enjoyed looking at Cameron's guard Lee.

"We will. Thank you." Jason said watching as the younger woman walked back to her car. "Let's go find mommy." He said as he locked up. "Were you good for Grandmom?" Cameron had spent last night at the mansion.

"Uh huh." The little boy said smiling at his mother who was coming up the hall. "Mommy!"

"Hi baby." Liz walked over and got a kiss from her son. "Did you have fun at your sleepover?"

"Yes." He said smiling. "Poppa funny." That was his name for Alan.

Since she was so close Jason put his free arm around her waist and pulled her closer for a family hug. He let the warmth of his son and the subtle vanilla scent of his wife soothe his nerves. "We need to get mommy off her feet. How about a snack?" Jason asked and Cameron nodded. Elizabeth hadn't eaten much today, or at dinner last night, and that worried him. "Come on mommy, I'll make you a hot chocolate and cut up some fruit for us all to share."

* * *

They had a great day with Liz and Cameron doing some coloring and then the Morgan men heading outside. The little boy rode his foot to floor coupe that Monica gave him while Jason tagged along. During one of her visits Skye said Lila Rae got one as well from her grandmother, while Spencer got a scooter. Come spring the kids would have fun riding around, especially once the younger kids got peddles. Then it was back inside for lunch and a nap. Liz cuddled up with Cameron on the couch while Jason sat and watched them.

After dinner Cameron had his bath and then it was bed time. Liz read him a story and then Jason read one as well. "He had a good day." She said as they made their way back downstairs.

"I was worried we weren't giving him enough attention over the past week." Jason admitted as they walked into the living room. His wife was walking a bit gingerly which meant she was on the edge of over doing it. Tomorrow he'd try to get her to use the chair lift, Cameron would love riding with her.

"Me too. We are going to catch a break because he won't really remember this time much. He isn't even two yet." Not for a couple more months. "Also he's been having a ball with the sleepovers. If anything he might be lonely now." Their son had very much enjoyed having his cousins around. Liz looked around and tried to find something to keep her busy. To keep her mind off of the fact that her babies weren't home.

Jason looked out the front window as lights flashed across the driveway. Without a word he picked up Elizabeth and carried her to the foyer. "We are going out." He announced helping her into her coat. "Lee is going to sit with Cameron and we are going to visit Jake, Belle, and Katie."

Elizabeth blinked back more tears. "You are sneaky."

"Johnny and Cody set it up." Jason said opening the door. "This hadn't crossed my mind." He wasn't going to take credit for something he had nothing to do with.

"Hi." Liz smiled at Ali who was with Lee.

"Hi, Cody called and asked if I could come out." Ali explained her presence.

"I'm good with kids." Lee told his boss being honest. "But I've never been the only adult responsible for one as young as Cameron before. His safety I can handle, but I won't know what to do with an upset stomach." He had been the one to ask Cody if the nanny could come out. It really was about his boss's son, but spending time with a pretty girl was never a hardship. They would be professional while here, but he was hoping she might go out for coffee with him after they were done for the night.

"Thank you." Liz loved that Jason's guys were never afraid to ask for backup.

"Take your time." Ali was happy she could help out. This situation had to be rough.

"We'll be back before ten." Jason knew that if they didn't set a limit up front they would have a hard time leaving at all.

* * *

The ward was pretty busy, in what Maggie called the after dinner rush. It wasn't uncommon for parents to end their day here with their child, or children. Liz waved and smiled at some of the other parents that they had gotten used to seeing over the past week.

"Hey." Joe greeted the Morgans. "We just finished our exam of your little ones so your timing is good."

"How are they?" Jason asked looking at his children.

"Great. Weight is up. Lungs are clear, brain activity is right where we want to see it." Joe was thinking that there was a good chance these babies would not have to stay past their original due date. "They are still having trouble controlling their body temperatures which is normal for preemies, and Kaitlyn's still gaining weight slower than her siblings."

"But she is gaining weight?" Liz asked just needing to be certain.

"She is." Joe promised them. "From Kelly's notes we saw that even in the womb Kaitlyn didn't put on weight as fast as her brother and sister." The truth was that multiples didn't develop at exactly the same rate despite being in the womb together. They would reach milestones at their own pace. Looking at their parents Joe was thinking Kaitlyn was going to take more after her mother, because Elizabeth was tiny. "Enjoy your visit, and I'm around if you need me."

"Thank you." Jason said smiling at this wife. He got them two chairs and they settled in to have a visit.

* * *

Thanks for the reviews!


	42. Chapter 42

ABC/DISNEY owns GH. No copyright infringement is intended.

* * *

Chapter 42

Over the next few weeks they settled into a routine. They spent the morning and lunch with Cameron. When he woke up from his nap Ali took him to the Corelli's or Emily's or the mansion for playtime with the other kids. Liz and Jason, who was on leave, took that free time to visit with the triplets. Cameron was back home early in the evening for dinner and more time with his parents. After he was asleep it was back to the hospital for a second visit with their youngest children.

Johnny was back at work and he would stop by occasionally to give reports but mostly he wanted to check on his friends. He passed along that Cody was working on paying off his debt to Lila, but still wouldn't say exactly what that entailed. Everyone was curious but the enforcer was staying mum. So was Lila.

This morning they were cleaning up from breakfast, Liz had cooked because after her last visit Kelly said she could start doing more around the house, when the phone rang. "Morgan." Jason answered.

"Hi it's Maggie. Is Liz there with you?" The doctor wanted to know.

"Hold on." Jason looked at Elizabeth. "It's Maggie." They had consults with the doctor once a week during their afternoon visits. Things had been going smoothly and honestly he was waiting for the other shoe to drop. They were ending week thirty-six and the thought that when you could see the finish line was when disaster struck went through his mind.

"Hi Maggie." Liz said when Jason switched to the speaker. "Is everything alright?"

"Things are great. Jake and Gabrielle are being moved out of their incubators today." Maggie was happy to pass this along. The two oldest triplets were four and half pounds and were having no trouble controlling their body temperatures. Their NG tubes were being removed when this conversation was over. If everything went well over the next few days they would go to the nursery and when they hit five pounds they could go home. Maybe sooner given Liz's medical training.

"We'll be able to hold them?" Liz said as her eyes filled with tears. Up until now that hadn't been an option.

"Yes. You may even be able to feed them if you are still here." Maggie was so happy for her friends. "Kaitlyn had a little trouble staying warm overnight, but not as much as before so I'm thinking by the end of the week you'll be able to hold her too."

"How is her weight?" Jason wanted to know.

"Good. Over the past week she's really started packing on the ounces." The doctor laughed. "She isn't far behind Jake and Gabby."

"Do you think she might be able to go home at the same time as her brother and sister?" Liz might really lose it if she couldn't bring them all home together. Jason had been her rock which was amazing because this was hurting him too.

"I'm cautiously optimistic at this point that they will all go home on the same day." Maggie let her patient's parents know. An alarm sounded in the background. "I have to go. I'll be around when you visit."

"Thanks Maggie." Liz said hanging up. She looked at Jason and when his arms opened she stepped inside them. "Almost."

"Almost." He repeated meaning this was almost over. "Cameron, ready to go out?" He asked his son still holding his wife.

"Okay." The little boy was finishing up breakfast.

"Let me go get our coats." Jason said giving his wife a soft kiss. "I love you."

"I love you too. Thank you for being so strong through all of this." She appreciated him being a real partner to her.

"You were the strong one." He said giving her another kiss. "You've always been the strong one. I just try to keep up."

Liz grabbed a cloth. "Let's get you cleaned up so you can go out with daddy." She said walking over to where Cameron was waiting.

* * *

The second they walked on to the ward Elizabeth knew someone had died. The staff didn't give anything away with their facial features, but it was in their eyes. The sorrow of grief. Looking around she immediately spotted her children and relaxed. They were in the same spot in the room but two bassinets had replaced the first two incubators.

"What happened?" Jason picked up on something being wrong from the fact that Elizabeth had tensed up beside him. She was relaxed now though.

"A patient died." Elizabeth said quietly as she reached for his hand. A quick scan of the room showed her that three babies were no longer here. She knew one was scheduled for surgery today, she had said a prayer for the family last night. One baby had been transferred to the nursery. The staff had put balloons on the bassinet which was a tradition on the ward. So Elizabeth was guessing it was the last baby who didn't make it.

Jason looked over at his children and said a silent prayer for the family as well as one of gratitude that this wasn't happening to them.

"Hi." Maggie came over. She knew her friends were coming and she wanted to be there when they got to hold their children. She needed the pick me up. "Ready?"

"Yes." Liz said smiling. They had scrubbed up before coming onto the ward and had on their gowns.

"Come on over. We set up a couple of gliders." Maggie said as the door opened. "We have a special guest star nurse today."

"'Hi Piph." Liz said taking a seat.

"Big day today." The head nurse was happy she could see this. "Kelly is scrubbing up."

As if on cue she came through the door. "Whose phone am I using?"

"Mine." Liz handed it over. She had covered the case with one of those pieces of plastic wrap made to fit over bowls. Not because the phone was dirty but because she would have to wash her hands again after touching it.

"Who gets who?" Maggie wanted to know.

"Jason gets Jake and I get Belle." Liz said holding out her arms.

Maggie and Piph each lifted a baby out and gave them to their parents.

"Hi." Liz said looking down at her daughter. "I love you so much Gabrielle. So much." She said quietly rocking her child. A feeling of rightness settled over her as she looked into her baby's face. The infant's eyes were open and were the same brilliant shade of blue as her dad's. She also had blonde hair coming in, but she looked like Liz without the small dent in her chin.

Over in his rocker Jason was getting to know his son. Jake was looking up, but Jason knew that his son couldn't see him clearly yet. They shared so many features it was a bit startling. His son was an almost carbon copy of him. Same eyes, same mouth, same nose. Like his twin he had hair so blonde it was almost white and according to Alan, Jason's hair was that color when he was younger. The slight weight in his arms was a new life created from parts of him and parts of his amazing wife. It was almost too surreal to wrap his head around.

"Want to switch?" Liz asked softly. They would be here for a while but Kelly couldn't stand there recording all day.

"Yeah." Jason handed his son to Maggie and took his little girl from Epiphany. She looked like Elizabeth with just a few changes. He was already feeling the need to tell little boys to stay away from both his daughters. She yawned before blinking up at him and Jason knew he had a goofy grin on his face. Being a father was the most amazing thing in his life. His four children had expanded his heart to hold more love than he thought possible.

Liz was holding her son and like with his sister taking in all the details. Jake was the spitting image of his father at this same age. Liz suspected that resemblance wasn't going to change as their little boy grew. "Hi Jake." Those brilliant blue eyes latched onto her face and he made a small cooing sound.

"We have bottles." Maggie let them know. It was a little early for a feeding, but it wouldn't hurt anything for them to eat now. "We fed them this morning and it took a little coaxing to get them to open up their mouths, but after that it went fine." The staff would want to make sure the babies could handle the food outside their tubes before letting mom and dad have a go.

Both parents adjusted their children so that they could eat. Jake chomped down on his bottle and started sucking right away. Gabrielle was a bit more stubborn, but her dad was patient and in no time she was also sucking down the formula.

"Is this iron enriched?" Elizabeth knew for preemies extra vitamins were often prescribed.

"The formula itself isn't. We add supplement drops to it. I'll make sure you have all that information when you leave." Maggie promised her friend. "Right now they are eating about 10 times a day in smaller doses. That will continue when you go home, and we'll adjust that schedule as needed. If they go home at forty weeks, then we will put them on the same appointment schedule as we would for a baby born full term."

"Barring complications?" Liz heard what was unsaid.

"Yes." Maggie said nodding. Just because things were fine now didn't mean they would stay that way. Full term newborns left the hospital healthy to come back a few days later with complications. Babies didn't have strong immune systems and multiples were often more susceptible to what their single counterparts simply shook off.

"We got the monitors that keep track of breathing, heart rate, and temperature." Jason explained, giving the doctor the brand name of the manufacturer.

"Good, that's top of the line. For your average full term babies those are overkill, but since we are going to be a bit more vigilant with your children that is what you want." Maggie replied to Jason.

"We'd also like to donate one thousand of them to the NICU for you to distribute to parents who need them when they take their babies home." Liz told her friends as she continued to rock her son. The units were pricey and most families would not be able to go out and get one on their own. With babies seconds mattered and this would make keeping their children healthier easier.

"Thank you." Maggie said floored at what she was hearing. They sent their parents' home with as many items as they could, but this wasn't something she had the budget to do. "You're going to save lives."

"You will save lives. You and your staff." Liz said to her friend. "We are just giving you more tools to do so." When the monitors were gone they would donate more.

"What about me, I don't get anything?" Kelly asked just to be smart. "You didn't even name a kid after me."

"Stop being a diva. You got a brand new ob/gyn center last year." Liz said laughing as she put her son on her shoulder to burp him. "Besides would it be fair to name any of the kids Kelly? It's too much pressure to live up to. You're like a living legend."

"That is true. I've ruined the name for everyone else with my awesomeness." The doctor said handing over the video camera. "I have to go, but keep me updated."

"We will." Liz said waving to her friend.

"We are going to go too." Maggie said smiling. "When you are ready to go call over one of the nurses." The doctor instructed. The babies were still hooked up to various monitors. The nurses would just check to make sure the lead were secure and the wires were untangled. Liz knew how to do that but legally she couldn't.

"Enjoy your visit." Piph said smiling as she headed out with Maggie. "A thousand monitors."

"Yeah. I'm gonna go back to my office and do a happy dance on the desk." Maggie thought the day was looking up.

* * *

The Morgans were smiling as they got off the elevator on the penthouse level of the Towers. Liz knocked on her brother's door, just in case anyone was home but got no answer so they headed over to Em's.

The young doctor opened the door but didn't say anything, instead she simply held up her hand and let the ring on her finger do all the talking.

"Oh my god!" Liz said pulling her sister into a hard hug. "What exactly do this mean?"

"Well." Emily said stepping back and letting them in. The kids were pushing cars around the living room and after a quick hug to his mom and dad Cameron went right back to playing. The young doctor wiggled her fingers as she continued her story. "It means we are serious about one another."

"That ring is gorgeous." Liz said getting a closer look at the pear shaped amethyst on her best friend's finger. It was offset with two smaller pear shaped diamonds on either side of the central stone. She nudged her husband.

"Congratulations." Jason said thinking he was going to have to talk with Dante soon just to make sure the other man knew what would happen if he screwed up.

Emily just laughed at her brother. "Wow Jase, that was so heartfelt." He didn't do well with reminders that she was a woman, not just a little sister. "Tell me about your visit."

"First congratulations, you two will need to come to dinner soon." Liz was so happy for Em.

"Mom is hosting a dinner next week. She'll be calling everyone later." Em explained, she and Monica were back to doing well, and it was just easier for Dante if the dinner was at the mansion. "Now tell me about the babies!" Em had a visit a few days ago. Seeing her nieces and nephew was harder now that Liz wasn't at the hospital.

"Jake and Belle are out of their incubators. We got to hold them today." Liz said tearing up again. "Katie will hopefully be out of her incubator by the end of the week."

"Yay!" Emily said hugging Liz and then hugging Jason. "I really need to go visit so I can hold them too. So the main nursery is the next step, correct?" Em asked ushering everyone to the couch.

"Yes, and then hopefully home." Jason said smiling wide.

"Fantastic. I will get us all something to drink, and you will tell me how it felt to hold two of your children." Emily said heading into the kitchen.

"We're all in good place." Liz said smiling as she leaned against her husband.

"Yeah. We are." He repeated kissing the top her head and watching the kids play.

* * *

Thanks for the reviews!


	43. Chapter 43

ABC/DISNEY owns GH. No copyright infringement is intended.

Hi everyone! Sorry for the disruption in posting, and my inability to respond to messages. My small slice of the world got knocked off the grid for a while. While things like electricity were quickly restored, cable and internet took a little longer. Hopefully we will get these last few chapters up without any problem. Thanks!

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Chapter 43

"I can't get over how much she looks like you." Steven was standing behind the glider where his sister was rocking Kaitlyn. This was the youngest Morgan's first day out of the incubator and Jason said his wife should get to hold their daughter first. He was manning the camera. "Belle looks like you, but there are parts of Jason too, this one is all you."

Liz was only half listening to her big brother. Right now she was focusing on her daughter. All three of their triplets were still doing great. Maggie said on Monday if everything looked good then they would all go to the nursery because they were just shy of five pounds. Liz was thinking by the end of next week they could bring them home.

"Want to hold her dad?" She looked up and smiled.

"Yeah." Jason said handing the camera to Steven. He sat down and the nurse transferred the baby. "Hi Katie." She was her mother right down to the dark blue eyes and brown hair that was coming in. He had to blink back tears when she grabbed his finger with her little hand. "I love you Katie."

Liz was wiping away tears as she turned off the camera. "Take a seat Steven, so the nurse can give you Jake." With all the adults situated bottles were handed out and the only sound that could be heard in their little section was the three Morgan children sucking down food.

"Olivia wants to know if she can crash the evening visit." Steven said watching his nephew eat. The worry that had dogged him since the babies made their early appearance was morphing from gripping to the normal worry he had as an uncle. To the same type of worries he had for Cameron. Steven was looking forward to getting into all kinds of trouble with both of his nephews and both of his nieces.

"Absolutely." Liz answered feeding Belle. It had been decided that this was her official nickname so no one was calling her Gabby anymore. "We want the babies to start getting to know everyone. I also want to talk to her about Dante and Emily."

Steven just looked at his sister.

"I'm not bringing up marriage, so relax." Liz told her brother. "Olivia is probably bursting to talk to someone who is actually going to be really excited about this. I know how you react to news. A lot like Jason." She said looking at her husband.

"I said congratulations." Jason said burping his daughter. "It's not like they got engaged." The whole promise ring thing didn't really make sense to Jason. To him it just made more sense to have a longer engagement. Why give a ring to your girl that just meant you planned on giving her another ring at a later date.

"I'm kind of with Jason on this one." Steven said shrugging.

"So says the man who has been engaged for two years now." Liz said poking her brother. She didn't bring this up often because Olivia seemed happy. "I'm sure Dante would like it if you actually married his mother since the two of you live together."

"We're getting there." Steven said giving his standard answer. "Dang it." He said as his pager went off. The nurse came over and took the baby. "I was hoping to get through this visit." He looked at the read out. "And that hope just got dashed." Looking over he grinned. "However reinforcements have arrived."

"Hi." Skye said looking at the group. "Who do I have to knock over to get a baby?"

"No one. I'm leaving." Steven said to the women he had gotten to know well since her return to Port Charles. Skye and Olivia were good friends now.

"Great, move." She said laughing as she sat in the glider. The nurse gave her Jake. "Hello sweetie. I'm going to want to hold the other two before I leave." She let them know.

"Pushy much?" Jason asked grinning.

"Yes." Skye said without shame. "It was nice of you to have three babies, but that isn't going to be enough to keep us from fighting over who gets to hold them."

"Meghan will take some of the pressure off." Liz pointed out.

"True." Skye said making kissing noises at her nephew. There was a big sign on the wall that told visitors to keep their lips to themselves so no kissing was happening just yet.

"You having a baby would also help." Liz said grinning.

"Have you been talking with Emily?" Skye wanted to know.

"Not about anything but her gorgeous ring, and my babies." Liz called over the nurse so that she and Skye could switch babies. At some point Jason was going to have to give up Katie, but not just yet.

"That ring is stunning. Olivia said Dante would want to use a diamond as an engagement ring." Skye passed along. "He's traditional like that. Chloe asked me to ask you to call her, she anxious to get started on the wedding gown."

"We can do the sketch, but fittings won't happen until I lose some of the baby weight." Liz said rocking her son. All the babies were sleeping soundly. "We can get you guys squared away though."

Jason didn't say anything but he was keeping track of the conversation. Losing weight was the last thing his wife needed to be stressing over. He loved her no matter what. He would need to make sure she knew that. He called over the nurse so he could switch babies with Elizabeth. He wanted to hold one of his other children.

* * *

Three hours after arriving at the hospital Jason and Liz were back home. In addition to Steven and Skye, Alan had stopped by to have a visit. He was very much looking forward to spoiling his new grandchildren with all manner of gifts. After he left Liz joked that they were going to have to put him on lockdown.

"I'm going to make myself something to drink, would you like some coffee?" Liz was happy to not have so many restrictions in place anymore.

"I would." Jason said following her into the kitchen. Cameron was at the Corelli house with the other children. They didn't go pick him up right away because they along with the O'Briens were eating dinner there. So this afternoon they got a little extra time to themselves. "I want to talk to you about something you said to Skye."

"'Sure." Liz said grinding the coffee beans.

"I don't want you to stress about losing the baby weight. You don't need to lose it all in a week." Jason told her. "That didn't come out right." He said shaking his head. "You don't have to lose it all period. I do want you to be happy with how you look, I just want you to know I will love you no matter what."

Liz let a slow smile come to her face. He was so cute. "I'm a girl Jason, we are never happy with how we look." She said starting to laugh. "I'm not going to become obsessed with the number on the scale. Milo is going to work out with me at the gym he owns. I'm going to be smart and safe about how I slim down. Being healthy is the most important thing, but no I don't like how I look at the moment. I also understand that the weight gain was necessary so that our babies stayed healthy. Thank you." She said starting the machine before walking over and kissing him. "I love knowing that you love me no matter what."

"Do you love it enough to give me a few kisses?" Jason asked wrapping his arms around her.

"Shameless." Liz said pretending to be shocked.

"Yup." Jason said before lowering his head and kissing his girl. His lips on hers was one of life's great pleasures. She was smiling when they broke apart. "Since we have free time, and you are mobile is there anything you still need for the nurseries?" They had decided that the babies could all go in their own rooms since they were now used to sleeping apart. Elizabeth had been decorating the three rooms with the help of a personal shopper up until now.

"We can take a trip to the baby center and walk around to see if anything calls to me." Although she was pretty sure she was done. "I'd like to start at the boutique on Marsh Street though, I want to pick up some things for Cameron's room." It boggled her mind that they had four children under two. "We can also talk about Ali going full time."

"You aren't going to fight me on that?" Jason asked surprised. He was waiting to bring that up.

"I'm going to need the help, especially since I do plan to continue working part time." Liz was being realistic. If she tried to do it all alone she would end up exhausted. "I want to have energy at the end of the day so we can spend time together."

"Thank you." Jason knew that time together was going to be hard in the beginning, but down the road when the triplets were sleeping through the night like Cameron that energy would come in handy. "Get out the ingredients for your hot chocolate and I'll grab some travel mugs."

Liz gave him a kiss and did just that.

* * *

At the beginning of week thirty-eight the Morgan triplets were moved from the NICU and into the nursery. On their last day in the NICU Liz got a lot of hugs from the other parents whom she had gotten to know. She was going to continue to pray that their time here ended on a good note.

Four days after the big move Jason and Elizabeth walked into the nursery to find Maggie and Kelly waiting for them. "Hi, you two up here causing trouble?"

"Hello." Maggie said smiling wide. "We weighed your rugrats this morning."

"Five pounds." Liz said immediately.

"All three of them." Kelly was happy to announce.

"They can come home?" Jason asked smiling wide.

"Wow. Look at you with the happy. I didn't know you had that many teeth." Kelly said smiling too.

"What my colleague is trying to say is that yes, you can take your children home." Maggie loved a happy ending. Today could be called that.

Liz looked at Jason with shining eyes. "We can take them home!"

"I need to go back to the house and get the minivan with the car seats." Jason said excited.

"You got a minivan?" Maggie asked surprised. "I thought you hated those." She said looking at Liz.

"I needed something that worked well with four car seats. Kelly's boyfriend said from a security standpoint a minivan was the way to go. I can stand inside the car and secure all the kids but with an SUV I need to leave a door open as I walk around the vehicle." Liz explained to her friends. Of course the guys had upgraded the car with a more powerful engine and bulletproof exterior.

"Does it at least have flames on the side?" Kelly would cry if she had to give up her Porsche.

"No." Liz said sadly. "I still have my regular car though and I'll drive that when I'm not with the kids." The triplets had required not only a new car, but a new garage to hold their three cars and Jason's Harley.

"Okay Jason go get the car and I'll start with the paperwork. We did the hearing and car seat tests this morning as well, both were fine." Maggie passed along.

"Are you going to tell the gang?" Kelly asked after Maggie left. "Because if you do you'll have a house full of people tonight."

"Of course we'll tell them. Emily will freak out if she comes by at the end of her shift and her nephew and nieces aren't here." Liz pointed out. In the main nursery parents didn't need to be present for a visit. Names just needed to be on the approved list.

"Tell everyone its potluck." Kelly suggested. "I'll bring something from the store." Neither she nor Cody were that good in the kitchen.

"That's a great idea." Jason didn't mind everyone coming over. He just wasn't cooking for them. "I'll be back as fast as I can." He said kissing his wife.

"I'm going to invite grandmother to come early, so she can get some uninterrupted time with the babies." Liz told Jason.

"She'll like that." He said smiling before kissing her again. "Let me say hi the kids and then I'll go."

"I'm on break, I'll hang out until he gets back. You can tell me what hideous color you are putting me in as a bridesmaid." Kelly said smiling.

"Puce. What do you want to talk about now?" Liz asked as they headed over to wash their hands.

"Smartass." Kelly said rolling her eyes.

"You know you miss me." Liz said laughing.

* * *

"Hey buddy." Jason said scooping up his son as he ran into the house. "Guess what?"

"What?" Cameron asked as he had his coat taken off.

Jason smiled getting that his son didn't really know what that question meant. He was just repeating what he heard. "The babies are home."

"Babies!" Cameron said clapping. This he understood, a little.

"Mommy is upstairs come on." Jason said picking the little boy up.

"Hey you." Liz said kissing on Cameron who laughed and tried to hide against his father. "Come meet your brother. This is Jake." They were in the first nursery.

"Jake." Cameron repeated.

They walked across the hall. "This is Gabrielle, but we are going to call her Belle."

"Belle." Cameron repeated again.

"One more buddy." Jason was curious about how much of this Cameron really understood. Their eldest child could put names with faces, the family was proof of that, but did he understand these new people were now part of their family.

"Kay." He said enjoying the ride.

"This is Kaitlyn, we are calling her Katie." Liz said running a hand over Cameron's curls.

"Katie." He said looking into the crib.

"They are your brother and sisters. They were in mommy's tummy, but now they are here with us." She would be explaining this more than this one time.

Cameron held out his arms and Liz stepped closer to kiss him. She couldn't hold her son right now because he was too heavy. Once her incision fully healed that would change.

"How often should we tell him he has a new brother and two new sisters?" Jason wanted to know as they headed back downstairs. Lila would be here shortly.

"Every day, several times. Using the babies' names often will help too." Liz told Jason. "Cameron won't really remember life without them, so I'm hoping we won't have too much in the way of sibling jealousy." Liz knew issues were going to crop up, but she was praying that they weren't as bad as the ones she and Sarah had.

"I think Cameron is going to be an excellent big brother." Jason said putting his son down to play.

"I think so too." Liz said watching him dump out his blocks. "I'm going to start putting together the crudité tray so when everyone arrives I'm not stuck in the kitchen."

"When you are done I'll put out the dishes, glasses, and silverware." Jason said over his shoulder. Right now he had a tower to build.

* * *

Liz held up the blanket so the Jason could slid under. The evening had been wonderful. The house had been filled with friends and family. After her shower she had checked on the kids taking a moment to say a prayer of gratitude that everyone was under the same roof. After his shower Jason had done his own walkthrough. If she had to guess she would say that at some point during the night he would do another. She snuggled close and just sighed at the rightness of being in his arms. "How are you doing?" She asked checking in.

"I am wonderful. I have you and our children in the house." Jason said smiling down at her. "How are you?"

"Amazing." Liz said smiling back at him. "Before we go to bed would you like to share what you and grandmother disappeared to talk about. Or is it something I'm not supposed to know?" Jason and Lila had a huddle before she left for the evening.

"You can know. In fact you should know." Jason said rubbing her back. "I was going to tell you in the morning. Lila was looking into a few things and I asked how that was going." His grandmother had said during the celebration was not the time, but that she would tell him before she left.

"What things?" Liz asked relaxing under his touch.

"She was looking into why James Craig held the Metro Court hostage. He didn't leave with anything, and that was odd." Jason started explaining.

"He was trying to get into the vault, but it was on a timed lock." Liz had mentioned that before.

"When you go through all the trouble to plan an operation of this scale you learn everything you can about your target. There is no way he didn't know that the vault couldn't be accessed. That was just a ruse. Lila learned that Craig is actually an alias of Jerry Jacks." Jason told his wife.

"Seriously?" Liz asked stunned.

"Yes." Jason nodded. "She also learned that Jerry was hired to come here for a specific job, which he accomplished using the destruction of the hotel as a cover."

"What was he supposed to do?" Liz wanted to know sitting up.

"Kill Lucky Spencer." Jason sat up too. "Jerry was hired by Nikolas."

Liz just didn't know what to say about that.

Jason kept going. "Jerry never got exactly why Nikolas wanted Lucky gone, and with Nikolas's mental state being what it is we may not ever know for sure." If he had to guess Jason would say it was because of Liz, and the plans the Russian prince had for her to take Spencer.

"Things between the brothers had been strained lately, but I don't believe that Nikolas would pay Jerry to kill Lucky. If for no other reason than Nik wouldn't want to harm Laura's other son." Liz said shaking her head. "Jerry is lying." She wanted to believe that.

"It's a skill he is very well versed in." Jason said shrugging. He wasn't going to challenge his wife's statement about Nikolas.

"But if he isn't, I don't want Spencer to ever learn that about his father." Liz looked at her husband. As a former nurse she knew brain tumors could make people do things that they would normally never even consider. "He doesn't need to carry that burden."

"Agreed." Jason said urging his wife closer.

"Thank you for telling me." She said leaning into his warmth. He could have kept this to himself.

"You're welcome. Ready to lie down?" Jason wanted her to get some rest. "You can think about this more in the morning."

"Yeah." Liz said lying down again and spooning up with her husband. She wasn't going to think about his tomorrow, in fact she was going to let it go. The past couldn't be changed, and if Nik had done what Jerry said then it was something he had to live with. Not her. Her life was good and that was what she was going to focus on.

* * *

Thanks for the reviews!


	44. Chapter 44

ABC/DISNEY owns GH. No copyright infringement is intended.

* * *

Chapter 44

"How are you doing?" Jason asked leaning against the doorjamb. His girl was finishing getting ready for their outing. Last week she and Emily had scattered Nikolas's ashes on the cliffs of Wyndamere. The Prince had died in his sleep just a week after they brought the babies home from the hospital.

"Good." Liz said giving him a smile. "I knew it was coming. There is a part of me that is relieved his suffering is over. Then there is a part of me that still can't believe he is gone. He was my friend for a long time, what we learned last week didn't change that." There hadn't been any tears, which might seem cold. The truth was Elizabeth had grieved for him already. When he was moved into full care she had begun letting go. There would be moments that it hit her that he was gone, but he wasn't hurting anymore and that was what she wanted for him. She wanted him to have peace. No matter the acts he committed, she wanted him to have peace. "Thank you for coming with us."

"I didn't want you and Em to go through that alone." Jason said coming closer and letting her vanilla scent surround him. "Dante and I talked about Sonny while you were spreading the ashes."

"Really? What did he say?" Liz asked turning from the mirror to face her husband.

"There hasn't been any change, which is what the doctors said when Sonny left here." Jason shrugged.

"I'm sorry." Liz had no use for Sonny, but up until the end he had been Jason's friend. Not as close as in previous years, but they were still on good terms.

"I am too." Jason said pulling his girl close.

"You can go visit if you need to." Liz wouldn't go because that would be hypocritical.

"Everything I need is right here." Jason said smiling down at her. The Sonny he knew was gone. "You look pretty."

"Thank you." Liz said blushing some. "I really love this dress." A blue silk floral printed dress that made her feel pretty. Today was a day that she should feel pretty. The garment was paired with dark blue heels, and the aquamarine earrings Jason had given her to celebrate the birth of the triplets. "I like you in your blue suit." It was her favorite dressed up look for him.

"Thank you." He said dropping his head and giving his wife a kiss. She was the only person he didn't mind wearing a suit for.

"I go see Kelly next week." Liz reminded him. She was hoping to hear that she was all healed.

"I know." Jason said with a wicked grin. "I've been watching the calendar."

"A man who pays attention is a wonderful thing." Liz said laughing. Over the course of her post-partum time he had gone out of his way to make her feel beautiful and desirable. Lots of kissing, touching, and snuggling. It gave her ego boost, but it was also frustrating. She was ready to be with her husband again. "We should get going."

"It wouldn't be right if we were late for our own children's christening." Jason said letting his wife go, but linking their fingers to keep her close.

"Especially since we are bringing the guests of honor." Liz said following him out of the bedroom and then downstairs. "Cameron are you ready to go?" She asked coming into the living room.

"Uh huh." The little boy got off the couch where he was sitting with Ali listening to a story and ran over to his parents.

"Ali are you riding with us or with Lee?" Liz asked their nanny. The younger woman had been a godsend since the triplets came home.

"Lee is bringing me over." Ali said packing away the book. Since it was Cameron's favorite he would probably want to hear it again before his nap at the mansion. After they left the church everyone was heading there for an early lunch. "He should be here shortly." Since they were officially dating the young guard had been reassigned. He was Spencer's guard and Rory was now with Cameron.

"That's probably him now." Jason said as the doorbell rang. The four adults got all the kids into the minivan, and strapped in fairly quickly. Marco was sitting in his car waiting for the Morgan's to leave, and Cody was meeting them at the church.

Liz looked at her husband and couldn't stifle a laugh as they pulled out of the driveway.

"What are you laughing about?" He wanted to know.

"I was just wondering if you are the only mob boss who drives a minivan." She said laughing. "I mean it's not a very macho vehicle." She had offered to drive.

"It's a bulletproof minivan with the most powerful engine that would fit under the hood, so that ups its badass factor." Jason said grinning. Cameron couldn't hear them over the music, otherwise he wouldn't have said that word. Their now two year old son liked repeating what his dad said so Jason was watching his language. "And to answer your question, no I'm not the only mob boss with a minivan. Quite a few of my fellow bosses have families with young children. Minivans are the new Cadillac."

"Is that right?" Liz asked laughing. "Are you going to coach soccer too?"

"If they play, although I'll probably assistant coach. Johnny knows more about the game than I do." Jason pointed out. Meghan already had a Bohemian Football Club onesie. "Did you play soccer?"

"No." Liz said shaking her head. "Steven did though, so he'll come out. Assuming the kids play." Most children in Port Charles joined the league, especially over the summer. There were however other sports they could participate in. Liz wasn't going to pressure them to do one thing over the other. "I was into ice skating until junior high school. The summer before eighth grade I broke my ankle and that was the end of my competing days. After I moved here sports didn't happen." She said shrugging. "The closest I come to sports now is running, I'm looking forward to Cameron's swim lessons and getting into the water."

"I'm looking forward to the swimsuits." Jason said with a lecherous grin as they made the turn that would take them to Queen of Angels. It wouldn't be a big crowd today. Just their closest friends and family. They both felt that a christening was a private event.

* * *

"Nice of you to make it." Johnny grinned as Jason got out of the car.

"Stop whining. We aren't even close to being late. Nor are we the last ones to arrive." Jason said as he walked around the minivan to help his wife down.

"Liz you look lovely." Chloe said kissing her friend's cheek.

"I really like that dress." Skye said coming over. They were just arriving too. Next to their car Emily and Dante were parking.

"Where are the babies? No one wants to see you." Emily said with a grin.

"Thanks guys. The babies are in the car." Liz said accepting a kiss to the cheek from Dante. "Trust me I am aware who the main attraction is. I'm just hoping they all sleep through the big event." Jake and Belle were fairly quiet babies. If they were wet or hungry they got your attention. Katie on the other hand was a very vocal youngster. The second she woke up she started demanding attention. While she was smaller in size than her siblings her personality was double theirs. She was a lot like her big brother Cameron had been as a baby.

"Meghan did not enjoy her christening." Johnny remembered laughing. "I think it took about a week to get the echo of her crying out of the chapel. I'm sure Katie will be fine." He knew who Liz was worried about.

"We'll just have Johnny hold her. He can charm her into behaving." Chloe said smiling. The youngest Morgan child was their goddaughter. Francis and Skye were Belle's godparents, while Steven and Olivia were Jake's. Emily was already Cameron's godmother and she told her brother to leave her name off the list.

"Let's get inside." Jason said opening the door to the minivan. "Is the family here?"

"Everyone but grandmother." Emily said basically pushing her brother aside so she could see her nieces and nephew. "Mom sent a text that said grandmother was on her way now.

As Em made that announcement the sound of a motorcycle engine filled the air and everyone looked over. "No way!" The younger doctor said her eyes getting wide.

"Wow." Skye said laughing.

"Go Lila!" Chloe said laughing as well.

Liz was grinning from ear to ear and looking at her husband who along with the rest of the guys were gob smacked. Kelly's Porsche had pulled into the parking lot first, followed by Cody on his bike. His newly modified bike; that had a sidecar. And in that side car was Lila Morgan Quartermaine. Complete with helmet, goggles, and a very fashionable scarf. Behind them Alice was in the van, no doubt with Lila's wheelchair.

"Why is my grandmother riding in a motorcycle side car?" Jason wanted to know. It's the last thing he ever expected of her.

Johnny was laughing too hard to talk. While Francis was just waiting for an answer.

"Damn, she doesn't even have helmet hair." Kelly remarked standing with her friends. They were watching Cody help the Quartermaine matriarch into her wheelchair. "My hair always looks a mess when I take off my helmet."

Indeed Lila looked like she was just leaving the salon. Not like she had ridden across Port Charles at close to one hundred miles an hour on a Harley. Alice pushed the smiling older woman past the stunned group. Lila simply waved.

"Why are you riding around the city with my grandmother on your bike?" Jason asked his enforcer. With Lila's medical issues he wasn't sure this was the safest thing for her.

"Your mother cleared it, so did Steven." Cody started there before smiling. "I'm paying off my debt."

"This is what she wanted?" Emily asked surprised.

"Lila has always liked Jason's bike." Liz pointed out.

"I would have taken her for a ride." Jason hadn't known that.

"She said you would drive old people slow and that she doesn't have time for that." Cody gave up and laughed. "The woman is a speed freak. We got pulled over and the officer was going to give me a ticket until he realized who my passenger was. Then he told her this was her last warning. Apparently your grandmother and Alice are hot rodding around the town."

"She does have a reputation around the department." Dante said grinning. "No one has the heart to bring her in though." There wasn't an officer on the force who wanted to arrest someone's grandmother.

"Is it just today?" Francis wanted to know.

"Nope. I owe her five more rides. The side car is detachable, although Kelly had fun in it when I took her out." Cody had made sure his girlfriend was okay with Lila riding around with him.

"I'm kind of worried she's about to go full on cougar on my guy." The doctor said just to watch Jason's eyes get wider. "I can't compete with her."

"No one can compete with Lila." Liz said laughing. Poor Jason was going to need therapy.

"Its official, you will never be as badass as her." Francis said grinning. "Come on we'll help you get the kids inside." Cameron looked like he was ready to be unbuckled.

Jason just shook his head. Now he had seen everything.

* * *

The service was beautiful, and all three Morgan babies didn't make a peep the entire time. Even when the water was sprinkled over their heads they slept on in the arms of their godparents, although Katie did open her eyes briefly and look around. After the family retired to the private garden where pictures were taken. No one was surprised that Liz cried the entire time. She had been the same way during Cameron's christening which was a much more sedate affair. It was just her, Emily, Nikolas, and the baby. Times had certainly changed.

* * *

At the mansion they had lunch and cake. Not only were they celebrating the christening, but Monica pointed out they never officially celebrated Cameron's adoption becoming final so there had been a cake for that as well.

"Today was awesome." Emily said coming to sit next to Liz. "I needed this after last week."

"How is Spencer doing?" Liz asked looking over at her godson.

"Good. I'm not sure he really remembers his dad much anymore. Kevin said not to lie, but not to force the issue either. In time Spencer will ask about Nikolas until then I keep pictures around so he has a presence in the house." Emily explained how they were coping. "He's happy and I think that will help Nikolas rest easy."

"It was really mature of you to step up and take Spencer in." Liz was so proud of her sister.

"There's been a lot of change, for both of us since the night at the Metro Court." Emily looked around the room at their gathered family. "I never would have envisioned this, but I'm glad this how things turned out."

"Me too. On both accounts." Liz said also scanning the room. Emily didn't know about what Jason shared, and they were going to keep it that way. Everyone who was in her heart was here. More family than she'd ever had before. "I hear you are going on vacation."

"You don't even work at the hospital and you are still up to date on the gossip. That's impressive." Emily said laughing. "Yes, with my new specialty I actually get time off. Dante wants to take me and the munchkin away for a week. So we are heading down to grandmother's island." Emily was excited to go.

"You will love it." Liz promised her best friend. "I need to get a picture of that." She pointed to where Alan was asleep with both Spencer and Cameron passed out on him.

"Me too." Emily said grabbing her phone. "Skye has one of dad and Lila Rae asleep in her living room."

"I want a copy of that." Monica said as she walked by to refill her club soda.

"I'll send you one now." Liz told her mother in-law. They were doing a lot better, even having lunch together occasionally on Monica's days off. Skye, Emily, and Chloe had joined them a couple of weeks ago. Things with the redhead and the surgeon were still chilly, but the other ladies had hope that would change.

"So I guess that means the party is finished?" Jason said coming over and putting an arm around his wife's waist.

"I was thinking we could just leave them there for a while, Ali is keeping an eye out, which means you and I can take a stroll around grandmother's garden." Liz wanted a little just the two of them time.

"That sounds like a great plan." He said taking her hand in his. It hadn't escaped his notice that his other friends were also missing. Taking advantage of the afternoon down time.

They stepped outside in time to see Cody zoom down the driveway with Lila once again in the sidecar. "I wondered where she disappeared too." Liz said laughing.

Jason just shook his head. "Come on, I want to start planning our next trip. It's time we go to Italy."

"Lead on." Liz said linking their fingers as they stepped out into the fragrant air.

* * *

Thanks for the reviews!


	45. Chapter 45

ABC/DISNEY owns GH. No copyright infringement is intended.

Not Safe For Work

* * *

Epilogue

"Note to self, don't go for the sexy bride look." Emily said as Liz came out of her changing room dressed in her wedding gown.

"Why not?" Liz said looking at herself in the three way mirror. "You would kill it."

"Please, you are the one killing it Mrs. Killer Curves." Emily said thinking there was a good chance Jason was going to pass out when he saw his wife.

"I have to agree with Em, you are very MILF worthy." Kelly said checking out her friend. "I had no idea you had that much ass."

"Kelly!" Liz said laughing at her friend. Although secretly she had to agree, she was smoking hot in her gown. Chloe had outdone herself. Liz said she wanted to make Jason weak in the knees and the designer took that to heart.

The floor length gown hugged Liz's curves without being skin tight before flaring into a mermaid style skirt. The V neckline gave just enough of a teasing glimpse of cleavage that it would have her guy on edge all night. The satin, tulle, and lace material meant the gown was light enough that Liz would be able to dance up a storm. However her favorite thing about her gown was that it was the lightest shade of pink Chloe could manage. Jason loved her in pink, and Liz knew he wouldn't be expecting her to be in that color.

"You can so pull off a sexy bride look." Liz assured her sister. Emily had time to figure out what she wanted at her wedding. Dante had only proposed last week. He had placed a large diamond on the young doctor's finger so there was no mistaking she was taken. "You are owning that dress."

"I love this dress." Emily said running her hands down another of Chloe's creations. Liz wanted to keep the bridal party in one color family. No other shade of pink worked for her, but she had found a shade of red all the ladies looked good in. Emily's dress was a floor length chiffon halter style gown. Finished off with sparkly silver heels, diamond earrings, and that ring. "But trust me if I go for a dress like yours they will compare us to one another and I'm not going to come out the winner." Emily said laughing.

The rest of the ladies were in V neck halter style gowns with the same shoes, pearl earrings, and a diamond brooch that were gifts from Liz. Kelly, Olivia, Chloe, and Skye were standing up with her.

"I really like that necklace." Skye said from where she was sitting. After getting dressed she had parked herself in the nearest chair. She was at the beginning of her second trimester and since she was going to be standing through the ceremony she was taking the opportunity to rest now. She didn't want her ankles to swell.

"Jason sent it over this morning." Liz said lightly touching the pearl and diamond pendant. She hadn't been expecting anything, and when she opened the box the tears had started.

"Speaking of Jason, we should probably start lining up." Olivia said looking at her watch before handing Liz her bouquet. They had been personally selected by Lila from her flowers. "I'm sure he is more than anxious to get a glimpse of his bride."

"I'm anxious to see him too." Liz thought this was a wonderful way for them to celebrate their first wedding anniversary. Renewing their vows in front of everyone who mattered to them.

"How come you guys aren't going away after the ceremony?" Emily wanted to know as the planner knocked on the door.

"We are going away in February." Liz explained. "To Italy." They would be staying in the house that Lila gifted to them. "For a month. So we decided to not take time off now. Since we are already married we don't need to go on a honeymoon."

"Considering you didn't take a honeymoon the first go round, I think you do." Olivia reminded her sister in-law. She and Steven had eloped over the summer pretty much shocking everyone.

"We will wait until the kids are older before going away somewhere for a week on our own." Liz explained as the planner made sure her dress was perfect. That trip would probably be back to Lila's island. The processional music started and she took a deep breath. Inside the ballroom of the Port Charles hotel her husband was waiting for her.

* * *

Jason smiled at all the ladies as they took their places. They looked lovely, each and every one of them. It was just that they were not who he was waiting to see. You would think he hadn't been married to Elizabeth for an entire year he was so anxious for her to walk down the aisle on the arm of her brother. This had been the best year of his life and he was hoping for at least another sixty just like it.

The music changed, the doors opened and there was his wife. She looked amazing was all he could think. That dress showed off her curves in a way that was making him sweat, and it was pink a color he loved her in. By the time she reached his side he was seriously considering just throwing her over his shoulder and making a dash for it. The only thing stopping him was that he wanted his wedding ring back, and the minister currently had it.

"Friends, family and loved ones, we are here today to bear witness to the renewal of the joyous marriage of Jason and Elizabeth Morgan. When you first joined your hearts one year ago, you promised to love, honor and cherish one another through all things. Today we gather to remember, and celebrate, that promise." The minister said opening the ceremony. "Jason and Elizabeth, I remind you that marriage is a precious gift, a lifelong dedication to love and a daily challenge to love one another more fully and more freely. With this in mind have you come here freely and with the intention of a renewal of your marriage vows?"

"We have." Both Jason and Elizabeth said in response.

"Do you promise to continue to love, comfort, and honor each other as man and wife every day?" The minister asked them.

"We do." They again responded.

"Jason, do you again take Elizabeth as your wife, will you continue to be faithful to her in tender love and honor, offering encouragement and companionship and will you continue to live with her and cherish her all the days of your life?

"I do." Jason said looking into his wife's eyes.

"Elizabeth, do you again take Jason as your husband, will you continue to be faithful to him in tender love and honor, offering encouragement and companionship and will you continue to live with him and cherish him all the days of your life?"

"I do." Elizabeth promised.

"Jason and Elizabeth have these rings as the outward symbols of their ongoing commitment to each other." The minister said holding up the gleaming bands. "From earliest times, the ring has been a symbol of wedded love. An unbroken and never-ending circle symbolizes a commitment to love that is also never ending."

"Jason please give this ring to your wife again, and say to her these words. From this day on, I recommit myself to you, and this ring is the symbol of my pledge." The minister said the words and Jason repeated them.

"Elizabeth please give this ring to your husband again, and say to him these words. From this day on, I recommit myself to you, and this ring is the symbol of my pledge." Elizabeth did as instructed.

"Let these rings serve not as locks binding you together, but as keys, unlocking the secrets of your hearts for each other to know, and thus bringing you closer together forever." The minister asked everyone to bow their heads and said a prayer of blessing that the couple would remain as committed to one another through the years as they were at this very moment. "Today you came knowingly to renew your promises of love for one another, not as newlyweds but as a married couple. You stand before us all with the knowledge that life is a journey, not a destination, and you have committed to travel together. Go now and enjoy the love you share forevermore. It is my honor and pleasure to pronounce you husband and wife once more! You may now kiss one another!"

Not needing to be told twice, Jason and Elizabeth did just that.

* * *

The reception was fantastic. The food was delicious, the band kept everyone grooving, and they were surrounded by friends and family. Lila was the hostess and she started the party with a welcome speech that had both Liz and Jason wiping away tears.

Since this was a vow renewal ceremony some aspects of a traditional reception were skipped, like speeches from the attendants. Instead they set up a video booth where anyone who wanted to say something to the married couple had two minutes to do so. They also skipped the cutting of the cake, but Liz still tossed her bouquet while Jason tossed her garter.

Two hours in Jason and Elizabeth took to the stage to thank everyone for attending, as well as taking a moment to take those who had worked so hard to put this event together. After that Mr. and Mrs. Morgan called it night, but invited their guests to stay and keep the party going.

"Thanks." Jason said waving as the cars with their nanny and guards pulled out of the driveway. He locked up and set the alarm before turning to smile at his wife. "We are all alone. Just you, me, and that sexy dress."

Liz gave him a dazzling smile. "Shall we go upstairs?"

"Best idea I've heard all night." Jason said walking over and scooping her up. On the second floor of the house they took a moment to check on each of their children. Ali said the triplets had just been feed and changed so they were good for a couple of hours. Cameron had been sleeping for hours at this point and he didn't even move when his parents came into his room. Now that they knew their children were fine they could concentrate on one another.

"I lost my breath when I got my first look at you." Jason said letting his hands move down his wife's curves. "You are sexier now than when I first saw you in those leather pants."

Liz laughed at the memory. "I didn't feel very sexy that night." She had been a young girl looking for trouble. "That is not a problem at the moment." The heat in his eyes was doing wonders for her ego.

"What's under the dress?" Jason wanted to know. He had been wondering on that all night.

"Unzip me and find out." Liz said turning her back to him and looking over her shoulder.

"I love your ass in this dress." He said taking a moment to appreciate the view.

Liz just smiled. She would wait until later to tell him what Kelly said. "Have you changed your mind about what seeing what is under my gown?"

"No." Jason said slowly lowering the zipper. "No bra?" He asked when the closure was half way open.

"Built in support. The V in the front is too deep for a bra." Liz knew he would like that. Jason's wide smile said she had been right. "Keep going." She wanted to be skin to skin with him which meant all their clothing needed to go.

"Yes ma'am." He said moving a bit faster and revealed a very tiny, and completely sheer white thong. "Hmmm." He hummed in delight.

Liz wiggled her hips and the gown fell to the floor. She kicked off her shoes and crawled on the bed rolling to her back. With such a long dress she had opted to skip hosiery so once the panties were gone she would be naked. "Take off your clothes for me Jason." She wanted to watch him strip.

"I would have left my jacket on if I knew that you were going to make that request." He said with a sexy smile. It was downstairs on the back on the armchair. He had no idea where his tie was, that had gotten ditched after their first dance.

"Trust me, what you have on is fine." Liz said propping herself up on her elbows. "Too many articles of clothing would have me getting impatient."

"Can't have that." He said slowly unbuttoning his shirt, and then tossing it to the floor. His t-shirt went next and a low murmur of appreciation came from his wife. Shoes, socks, and pants swiftly followed leaving him in his snug black boxer briefs. "Now what?" He asked as if he didn't know.

"Come join me." Liz said patting the bed next to her. When he was stretched out she brought her hand to his chest and slowly began petting him. "I love being your wife."

"I love being your husband." Jason said placing his hand on her hip and urging her closer. "I'm glad that I was smart enough to realize I was endanger of losing you and did something about it. Me not speaking up will not be an issue for us ever again." He came too close to not having this, having them.

Liz kissed under his jaw as her husband's hand moved around to massage her bottom. "I shocked that you kidnapped me." She said moving her lips to other side of his jaw. "I didn't think I mattered that much."

"You always mattered." Jason said enjoying her attention. "You've always been the thing my heart wanted the most." He hadn't ever told her this before. "You'll always be the person my heart wants the most." He said dipping his head and taking her soft lips. "I love you baby." He said in a husky whisper.

Her big blue eyes looked in his. "I love you too. I'll always love you." She said before bringing his mouth back to hers.

He rolled them so that he was over her and kissed his way down her body. Slowly pushing the passion between them higher. When her panties were gone he removed his underwear and fit himself between her thighs. Lining them up he claimed her as his. Pushing deep and feeling her muscles contract in pleasure. They rocked together giving and receiving love and trust. She fell first and he quickly followed.

After they lay together holding one another tight, knowing they had this love to share for the rest of their lives.

* * *

Just over two hours after making love Kaitlyn woke up. Jason rolled from the bed and headed down to the kitchen. If she was up Jake and Belle would soon be up as well. He warmed the formula and headed back upstairs. Elizabeth was already changing their youngest so he stuck his head in both the nurseries to see who else was up. Jake was in his crib sucking on his fist, so he got changed too. With baby in tow Jason headed back to the bedroom.

They had a system in place for feeding the triplets at once. Rarely was one parent ever alone so it was working out well. Liz had Katie in her bouncer, when Jason brought in Jake he was put in his bouncer by his mom while Belle was changed. Sometimes Liz was the parent who brought the babies in, but normally it was Jason. With all three babies strapped in bottles were handed out. Right now they had to hold the bottles so one parent would usually take two babies, normally the girls because Jake always finished eating first. After the little ones would be burped and put back to bed.

As their children ate Liz and Jason shared a smile. This was their life and they wouldn't change a second of it.

Vows from The Marriage Man

* * *

We've come to the end of another tale! I'm so glad that you guys enjoyed this one. The reviews have been a riot to read. I don't do a lot of intentional humor so I'm really happy that you found the parts I wanted to be funny that way, lol. I had a blast with Lila in this one, and I may need to consider another story where she is running things. Not as a favor to her grandson, but because she's a boss. The triplets was also a new twist for me. Learned a lot researching that topic.

I'm going to take a short break, planned this time, while my beta and I do more editing. We've already started on the next story, I just want a few more chapters cleaned up before I begin posting. This will be another light drama with plenty of romance and light humor. I am working on stories with heavier drama but they take longer to write so look for them next year.

Thanks again to Heather for the great prompt. Also to Liason102 for the edit.

As always thanks for the reviews, the support, the follows, and the favorites!

Be well!


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